No One Else but You
by Scarlet182
Summary: Can the loss of recollection stand in the way of what is truly meant to be? *Story Complete* (Edited)
1. I have a friend, who likes your friend.....

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Disclaimer: All the characters in this fanfic belong to Disney and any other company that owns the series 'In A Heartbeat'.

Hey everyone!!! This is my first fanfic ever!!! I'll be glad to know what you thought of the story, so feedbacks will be appreciated. And now, the moment you've all been waiting for…

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No One Else but You: "I have a friend, who likes your friend…"

It was another Monday morning in Kingsport. For Tyler Connell, it would be the day that his life, let alone his love life, would change forever. The time came to 5:30, and the alarm buzzer went off.

"I'm not ready yet!" he mumbled sleepily as he turned the buzzer off. 

He went out of bed and headed for the shower. After the shower, he brushed his teeth and then got dressed and ready for school. As he took one last look at the mirror, a thought came to his mind.

"Val," he murmured.

Val Lanier. Cheerleader, model student, EMT, friend, the girl of his dreams. This was the day he was going to ask her out. After two years of having a crush on her, he finally got the courage to just do it and ask her. For starters, it wasn't the easiest thing to do in the world. It killed him to see her every single day, not being able to tell or show her how he truly felt. She was one of his best friends. The fear of ruining their friendship made him decide to just keep his feelings to himself. Aside from crossing that line, they both work together, and it's only appropriate that they keep things simple and platonic between them.

* * *

The bell rang, which means the end of their second period class. For some reason, Tyler got this weird feeling in his stomach, as though he ate a huge bucket of butterflies, and they're fluttering inside him.

"Why am I…?" he started to speak, but was silenced by the figure that stood in front of him. 

It was Val. She was wearing her usual long ankle length skirt, and a pastel yellow shirt. Her blond hair was curled. Her eyes were as blue as the morning sky. She was perfect.

"Hey Tyler!" she proclaimed, a radiant smile on her face.

Tyler was speechless. He didn't know where to begin. It was as if all his thoughts came together and then there she was. He just stood there and looked at her.

"What? Is there something on my face?" she asked politely.

"Umm, no, of course not. I just thought you were…uh…someone else." _'That was lame.'_

"Ok. Well, I'll see you later. Bye." She said as she headed for her next class.

"Bye," he replied as he walked away to his next classroom.

* * *

It was lunchtime, and almost everyone was at the cafeteria. Tyler found his way to usual seat, and sat next to Hank.

"Hey!" he greeted.

"Hey!" replied Hank as he took another bite off his sandwich.

"Hey guys! Mind if I join you?," asked Jamie.

Hank shook his head, as if saying "Not at all" for his mouth was still full with food.

"Not at all," exclaimed Tyler.

"So, did you ask Val yet?" inquired Jamie.

"What? Oh yea, that, um, no. Not yet anyway," Tyler answered

"You're not gonna chicken out, are you?" questioned Hank after managing to swallow another bite.

"No, and would you guys please stop interrogating me. I'm really nervous as it is!" he replied, almost yelling.

"OK/Sure," replied both Jamie and Hank.

Trying to change the topic, Tyler asked Jamie about Caitie.

"How about you, Jamie? When are you going to ask Caitie out?"

"What are you talking about? I don't like Caitie?" Jamie retorted

"Sure you don't like Caitie. And Tyler doesn't like Val," Hank responded, loud enough for people in the next 2 tables to hear.

Tyler and Jamie gave Hank a look as if they're about to kill him. 

"They're both not even here," he defended himself.

Tyler and Jamie continued to give him the same look.

"Fine. I'll shut up," he said, as he took another bite off his food.

"OK. So I do like Caitie," Jamie finally managed to say. "I'm just not ready yet. Every time I'm around her, I just get all jumpy and tense up. I don't know. Before I knew I liked her, it was just fine. Now, just the sight of her and I get all nervous."

"I know what you mean," Tyler replied with agreement.

After a few minutes, lunch was over and they all left. Tyler and Jamie went ahead, leaving Hank with his sandwich.

"Guys! I'm not don't yet," he managed to speak out as he took his last bite off his sandwich.

* * *

The bell rang once again, signaling that the day was over. Tyler went to his locker, and met up with Hank. 

"Well Hank, I guess this is it," Tyler said, a sure sign of edginess in his voice.

"Good luck, pal!" he stated and patted his friend in the back as he took off.

Tyler walked his way to Val's locker, not even sure about what to say or do. _'OK. Just be calm, relax, and don't say anything stupid.'_

"Hi Val," greeted Tyler.

"Oh, hi," she greeted back.

Caitie was standing right beside Val. _'That's odd. Tyler didn't even notice me. And he looks so nervous, he's about to explode.'_

Probably guessing what he's up to, Caitie excused herself from Val.

"Val, I have to go now. I have to meet Brianne and Jamie. I'll talk to you later. Hey Tyler! Bye Tyler!" she stated as she hurried down the hall.

Before Tyler could say anything to her, Caitie was already out the door. He felt rather stupid, yet embarrassed about not noticing her. In a mere second, his thoughts came back to him, and to what he has planned to do.

"Can I drive you to the station?" he asked.

"I was gonna walk, but since you asked, I'd be glad to," she replied, a smile on her face.

"OK. Great. So, are you ready to go?" he inquired.

"Sure. Let's go," Val exclaimed as she took her stuff.

The two walked out to the parking lot to where Tyler parked his car. But neither one of them knew the surprise that awaited them.

* * *

Tyler parked his car outside the station. Before they got a chance to head inside the building, Tyler grabbed Val's hand in an attempt to stop her.

"I'm sorry, but, I need to ask you something," he said, with a serious tone in hi voice. _'This is it…there's no turning back now.'_

"It's all right. You can ask me. So, what is it that you needed to ask?" Val questioned him. _'Why does he look so nervous? His hands were rather cold when he grabbed my hand. And his voice seemed shaky. What's going on, Tyler?'_

"Well, um…I…would you…I mean…" Tyler stuttered as his nervousness got the better of him. _'Come on, Tyler! What's the matter with you? Think quickly. Do something. Say something.'_

"Tyler, what is it?" Val pleaded.

"I have a friend, who likes your friend, and he's thinking of asking her out. By the way, his friend likes her friend and he wants to know of he could go out with her friend some time," Tyler managed to say in a relatively fast pace.

Tyler and Val stood there, face to face, not even knowing if what just occurred **just **occurred.

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Tyler ~ 'Did I just say that?!?'

Val ~ 'Did he just say that?!?'

To be continued…


	2. Pick you up at 7?

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Disclaimer: All the characters in this fanfic belong to Disney and any other company that owns the series 'In A Heartbeat'.

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Scenes from the previous episode…

"Tyler, what is it?" Val pleaded.

"I have a friend, who likes your friend, and he's thinking of asking her out. By the way, his friend likes her friend and he wants to know of he could go out with her friend some time", Tyler managed to say in a relatively fast pace.

Tyler and Val stood there, face to face, not even knowing if what just occurred **just **occurred.

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Tyler ~ 'Did I just say that?!?'

Val ~ 'Did he just say that?!?'

To be continued…

* * *

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No One Else but You: "Pick you up at 7?"

No one, not even Tyler, can even begin to explain what was going on inside his head,…inside his heart. _'Did I really say that? Well, it was the truth in one way or another.' _He knows that somewhere within the words that he had spoken, he had already crossed the line of friendship between them. He knows that whatever happens, things will never be the same again, whether it's for a good cause, or a bad one. Without any idea of what to do, Tyler just started to break down, and almost certainly had just given up of any hope that he and Val will ever be together.

"Well, this is awkward. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that," started Tyler. "I'm sure the feeling isn't mutual," he continued to say as much as he regretted saying it. "I'll just go now before I can say anything stupid. I'll see you later," he cried out as he proceeded to the door.

"Tyler! Wait!," she called. 

She herself had no idea of what just happened. They just got out of his car and were headed to the station when Tyler stopped her to ask her something. The next thing she knew, Tyler had managed to ask her out, even though he said it in the least bit confusing 4th-grade manner. It was pretty cute though. She had to admit that she was flattered. She had a crush on him as long as she can remember. Apart from being friends, their job is the only thing that kept Val from telling him she liked him. _'I guess that explains why he has been acting weird all day,'_ she thought as a small smile crept from the corners of her mouth.

"What Val?!?" he said with a hint of anger and pain in his voice.

"Did you just ask me out?" she asked to make sure that what she thought she heard was really spoken.

"Yes. Yes I did," answered Tyler who by now feels like he had just hit rock bottom.

"Well," she began to say, "wouldn't you like to know my answer?"

A small glimmer of hope began to spark within him._ 'Of course I'd want to know! Why wouldn't I? I'm just afraid that you'd say "no". Do you really want to go out with me? Oh, I really wish you would.'_

"Val, if it's gonna hurt me, I'd rather not hear you say it," replied Tyler.

"Well Tyler, it's not gonna hurt you," she retorted. 

"What are you saying?," he responded, knowing all too well that he might have gotten his wish.

"I'd love to go out with your friend's friend," she answered.

They both shared a small laugh at Val's remark, remembering that just a little while ago, Tyler asked her out with the "my friend likes your friend" line. After a couple of minutes, Tyler couldn't stop grinning. Not wanting to end the moment, Tyler began to ask Val about their upcoming date.

"How would you like to go out for dinner with me Friday night after the football game? We have that night off. I mean, if it's all right with you?" he asked Val, practically begging her to go.

"That sounds great," she replied, giving him one of her famous smiles that he just couldn't resist.

"OK. Pick you up at 7?" he inquired with a trace of merriment in his voice.

"I'll be waiting then," she said.

As the two went into the station, there was a new feeling in the air. As he walked along side Val, Tyler couldn't be anymore happy,…and relieved. _'This is just the beginning of my new life!'_

If he only knew how he couldn't have been more wrong…

To be continued… (sorry J ) Feedbacks will be greatly appreciated, so write one.


	3. He stood me up!

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Disclaimer: All the characters in this fanfic belong to Disney and any other company that owns the series 'In A Heartbeat', except Mr. Harriman and Blake Wilson.

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Scenes from the previous episode…

"How would you like to go out for dinner with me Friday night after the football game? We have that night off. I mean, if it's all right with you?" he asked Val, practically begging her to go.

"That sounds great," she replied, giving him one of her famous smiles that he just couldn't resist.

"OK. Pick you up at 7?" he inquired with a trace of merriment in his voice.

"I'll be waiting then," she said.

As the two went into the station, there was a new feeling in the air. As he walked along side Val, Tyler couldn't be anymore happy,…and relieved. _'This is just the beginning of my new life!'_

If he only knew how he couldn't have been more wrong…

To be continued…

* * *

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No One Else but You: "He stood me up!"

As much to his dismay, the week went by rather slow. Tyler couldn't believe it's still Wednesday. It had only been a couple of days ago when he finally asked Val out. Well, sort of anyway. Now that he thought about it, he just wishes that Val didn't realize that the friend he was referring to was Jamie, and that the other one was Caitie. If she did make any sense out of it, let alone told Caitie or even Jamie, he'll be dead without even having a chance to meet Val for their date. Nonetheless, those tiny little shadows of problems couldn't get the sunlight out of him.

* * *

The day still went on slowly. What was only two hours seemed like forever for Val. Two days ago Tyler asked her out. She can't believe that this long-awaited dream of hers has finally come true. As she thought about the way he managed to ask her, she can't help but give a small laugh.

"What are you laughing about?" asked Caitie with suspicion. 

"What?!?" she exclaimed, a bit surprised.

"What are you laughing about?" she asked again.

"Oh, nothing. It was nothing," she replied, hoping that Caitie didn't see her blush.

Caitie just rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the teacher.

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'He was so cute! He was so nervous, and…'. Val continued to daydream when a though suddenly popped to her head. _'Wait a minute, Tyler said something about a friend of his liking mine. Did he just say that for the heck of saying something, or was he telling the truth? If he was, could he be talking about Caitie? And if it was Caitie, whom could he be talking about? Is it Jamie?…'_

"Val, what is the Pythagorean Theorem?" asked her math teacher

"It's gotta be him!" she yelled out.

Everyone burst out laughing. The teacher on the other hand, was not amused.

"Val, what has gotten into you?" asked Caitie, a bit worried.

"Umm, could you repeat the question, Mr. Harriman?" asked Val politely, a bit embarrassed.

"What is the Pythagorean Theorem, Ms. Lanier?" he asked with impatience in his voice.

"A squared + B squared = C squared," she replied accurately.

"Good," the teacher commented.

As the teacher continued on his lesson, Val's thoughts returned to what she was thinking about. _'It has to be Jamie. Who else could it be? Besides, I think they both like each other anyway. Maybe it's time for Val to shoot some arrows around.'_ She smiled as she thought about her plan to get them both together. 

As the bell rang, Val and Caitie picked up their stuff and headed for their next class. As they walked down the hall, they came across Tyler and Jamie. Tyler and Val just looked into each other's eyes, and gave a knowing smile. They didn't need words to be able to talk to each other. Meanwhile, without Val recognizing, Caitie took a quick look at Jamie. _'He looks so good in that leather jacket. And his eyes…'_ Her thoughts were cut off when she noticed Jamie looking at her, and she quickly diverted her gaze.

* * *

Tyler was headed to the cafeteria with Jamie. In the halls, he saw Val heading towards his direction. When they met up, he just looked at her straight in the eyes and smiled. She smiled back. _'Gosh, she's pretty.'_ At the same time, Jamie was also looking at a certain someone. He saw Caitie walking alongside Val. He caught her eyes on his, but for some reason, she diverted her gaze as though surprised to see him. _'What's up with that? She was looking at me first. Does she know?'_

* * *

Friday finally came. It was a big day, not only for Tyler, but also for Kingsport High as well. The Regional Championship Football game will be held later that afternoon. The school has not been able to get to the finals since 1993. If they lose, this will be the last game of the season. If they win, they're going to the State Finals. A lot of people will be there. It's not an easy game though. They're against the number one team in the region, the undefeated Hamilton Golden Bears. With their star player and captain, Blake Wilson, leading them, it's not going to be an easy feat to overcome. 

It was still 3:30, and the bleachers are already full. Almost everyone in town was there for the anticipated game. The marching band was already there. The cheerleaders were up and ready to go. And the Kingsport Cobras football players were already warming up in their home field. Tyler and Hank practiced together. Val went up to them to wish them luck.

"Good luck guys!" she said, already in her cheerleading outfit.

"Thanks. We need it," replied Tyler, the team's captain and star running back.

"We need all the luck we can get," added Hank, the team's quarterback.

* * *

The score was knotted at 17. When Hank passed the ball to Tyler, Blake Wilson, one of the opponents, grabbed it for an interception. As Blake rushed for the touchdown mark, Tyler was just on his tail. 

"Try to catch me now, Connell," he taunted.

Tyler, although angered, didn't bother to counter his remark. Instead, he just kept on chasing him. Unfortunately, he didn't succeed in catching him. Blake already made the touchdown. A huge wave of boos crept throughout the crowd. Hank went over to Tyler. 

"It's OK buddy. We'll catch them sooner than you think," he said as words of encouragement.

Blake headed for Tyler. A mischievous smile on his face, he deliberately bumped on Tyler as he passed him.

"You're going down, Connell. You and your sorry-ass team," he stated. "And if you ever try to stop us, you're gone, Connell. That I promise you," he said as he handed him the ball and left, laughing at him.

As he watched the opposing team try a field goal, he kept hoping that their kicker would miss. It would be their only chance of winning, with 5 minutes left in the game. The kicker kicked the ball (duh!), and it went high up, heading straight for the goal. Tyler looked on, as he watched the ball, thinking that it's over for them. He turned his back, and didn't even bother to look. Suddenly, the crowd was cheering. Apparently, the ball went straight, but only it went under the goal. 

"Looks like we still might have a chance after all," he said quietly to himself as he went to huddle with the rest of his teammates.

"OK Tyler, what's the plan?" asked one of his teammates.

"Hank, Coach said we have to do the Swithcheroo play," he told him.

"Well, I guess we have no choice. Hamilton expects you to catch the ball, and me to throw," he replied. "OK, let's do it," he continued. 

"1,2,3,…COBRAS!!!" roared the team, and they broke the huddle.

The Cobras set up their play. Tyler, got the ball, and was ready to pitch it to Hank. Before he could throw it to him, he was blocked by one of the opponent's defense lineman._ "Great. Come on, Tyler…think.'_ Without even knowing what he did, Tyler rushed and headed for a touchdown. The crowd was on their feet, as they watched Tyler near the end zone. It seemed like no one was out to catch him, when out of nowhere, Blake Wilson was already running towards him for a crash collision.

"You're not going to ruin this for me, Connell. And I wasn't kidding before," he told him as he was about to tackle him.

At that moment, Tyler knew that Blake will jump on him. He knew that he was a few feet away from the end zone. Running out of options with no time to think, Tyler, with all his might, leaped over Blake, as he tried to tackle him, but missed. Tyler didn't even know how high he was in the air until he landed on his back, and scored a touchdown. The crowd went wild, and all of Tyler's teammates gathered to him. Hank pulled him up.

"That was great, man. I am really impressed," he said with a sure sign of joy in his voice.

"Well, somebody's got to do it," he replied, nearly out of breath, but was far from getting tired.

As the crowd watched the Cobra kicker go for a field goal, Tyler, Hank, and everyone on the team, in the stadium, watched as the ball went up in the air,…got closer to the goal post,…and went in.

A huge scream filled the stadium. The Cobras won the game by a point. Everyone was now up on their feet, and headed towards the players to commend them for a job well done. Everyone was so excited about the win. Tyler couldn't even believe they won. He searched for Val, but couldn't find her anywhere. He then saw Caitie, Brooke, and Jamie heading towards him.

"Where's Val?" asked Tyler.

"Congratulations, Tyler!" exclaimed Brooke.

"That was tight! Did you see how high you were up there?" said Jamie.

"What's your problem? You just won the Regional Championship, and all you could say is 'Where's Val?" remarked Caitie.

"Where's Val?" asked Tyler again, as if he didn't hear a single word that they said.

"She went home to get ready for your big date," responded Brooke.

"That's great. Tell her I'll see her later, OK?" Tyler told Brooke.

"Sure. No problem," she replied.

Tyler went back to his teammates and celebrated their huge victory.

* * *

Val was just about finished getting ready. She can't wait for their date. She was happy for Tyler in winning the game. She heard from Brooke that he was named as the 'Most Valuable Player' of the game. Val was really excited, and nervous as well. As she looked at the time, it said 6:30. _'He should be here any time soon.'_

* * *

It was thirty minutes past seven, and Tyler hasn't shown up yet. Val was getting worried. _'Maybe he was just running late, that all.'_ Val decided to call Hank to ask if he knew where Tyler was, but he wasn't home. As the clock ticked, and time flew by, Val had seemed to have given up. It was already nine o'clock. Val was almost at the verge of bursting into tears. _'How could he do this to me? How could he let me wait like this? How could he hurt me this way?'_ All of a sudden, the phone rang._ 'If this is you Tyler,…'_ She was really upset and frustrated, and it showed in her tone.

"Hello!!!" she answered the phone.

"I'm sorry to bother you!" replied Caitie. "Wait a minute, Val, is that you?" she asked, pretty stunned for she thought she was on a date with Tyler.

"Yes, this is me," she managed to say. She couldn't hold it anymore, and she broke down in tears.

"Val? What's wrong? What happened?" she asked, feeling sorry for her friend.

"He stood me up, Caitie!" she choked. "Tyler Connell stood me up in what was supposed to be the best night of my life," she went on. "I trusted him," she cried.

"I'm so sorry, Val. I don't know what to say," she stated, not really knowing what so say to her friend. "If he stood you up, then maybe it wasn't meant to be, you know," she added.

"Yea,…look, I need to be alone right now. Could you call me later? I don't really feel like seeing or talking to anybody right now," she told her friend.

"Sure. Whatever you want. Bye," she replied, and then hung up.

* * *

After the celebration, Tyler got home, cleaned up, and got ready for his big date. He had a surprise gift for Val, and he put it inside his jacket to not forget it. A little while ago, he was on his computer and was chatting with Hank online just to pass the time. He wished him luck. He needed it. As he looked at his watch, it said 6:35. He left his computer on, and left an away message saying: I'm out right now. I'll probably be back between 9 and 11 o'clock. I'll talk to you guys later. Go Cobras!!! ~ T.C. After that, he left the house and headed for Val's.

While he was driving, he noticed a car in the middle of the road. There was a man laying unconscious on the ground. As an EMT, he was obligated to help the guy. As he got out of his car and proceeded to help him, the man just stood up, and looked at him with a smile on his face that meant it was just a set up.

"It's nice to see you again, Connell," said a young man behind him.

For Tyler, time must have seemed to have stopped. The voice was all so familiar to him. He knew very well who it was, and he knew that it was a bad sign. As he stood there for what seemed like a minute, thoughts ran into his mind. _'…I have a friend, who likes your friend…Pick you up at 7?…"if you ever try to stop us"…'_ Tyler slowly turned around and got a look of his persecutor's face. _'Connell……you're gone, Connell……you're gone,……gone……'_ He felt a sudden blow on the head, and everything just turned black, like he was engulfed by the night…

* * *

Val locked herself up inside her room. It was eleven o'clock. She hasn't stopped crying since she had a talk with Caitie. Up to this moment, Val still didn't get over what happened. She knew it was too good to be true, but she hoped it was. _'This was Tyler Connell. The nicest, generous, understanding, loving, most perfect guy she has ever met. Was she just blinded by his looks?'_

"Tyler," she whispered softly as she stared outside her window to the bright full moon. "Why?" she continued, and drifted again to another cry.

To be continued… (once again, I'm sorry J …I don't know when I'll be able to put up the continuation of this story. I have a bunch of test to study for. Let me know what you think. Feedbacks are really appreciated. Who knows, with your word of encouragement, I might be able to finish the story faster J )


	4. You've got mail!

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Disclaimer: All the characters in this fanfic belong to Disney and any other company that owns the series 'In A Heartbeat'. This is my 4th fic. Please read and review!!!J

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Scenes from the previous episode…

"It's nice to see you again, Connell," said a young man behind him.

For Tyler, time must have seemed to stop. The voice was all so familiar to him. He knew very well who it was, and he knew that it was a bad sign. As he stood there for what seemed like a minute, thoughts ran into his mind. _'…I have a friend, who likes your friend…Pick you up at 7?…"if you ever try to stop us"…'_ Tyler slowly turned around and got a look of his persecutor's face. _'Connell……you're gone, Connell……you're gone,……gone……'_ He felt a sudden blow on the head, and everything just turned black, like he was engulfed by the night…

To be continued…

* * *

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No One Else but You: "You've Got Mail!"

The moon was shining brightly threw her window. Val has been up for hours, crying her eyes out because the person who used to make her happy hurt her. It was 11:30 at night, and she still has to go to work tomorrow. _"I really don't think that I could sleep."_ She was alone in her room for Brooke was at a sleepover with Amanda. She decided to go on the Internet. She took her laptop to her bed. Suddenly, a wave of fatigue has overcome her, and she drifted into a long sleep.

* * *

Val woke up at the burst out noise from her alarm clock. The time was 7:30, and she had to be at work by 9. Somehow, she didn't feel like going to work. Sure, she loves her job, but she didn't feel like facing Tyler there. But she has responsibilities to take care of, and if it means seeing Tyler, then she had no choice. Val went in the shower, and after that got ready for work. When she went in the kitchen, she saw a note from her parents. It said that they would be home a little late that night, and that her breakfast is on the table. She proceeded on eating her breakfast, but her mind was a thousand miles away.

* * *

As Val went into the station, she heard footsteps heading towards her. She immediately thought it was Tyler.

"Tyler, I don't want to talk to you right now!," she said, her back turned to him.

"Will you talk to me?" exclaimed Hank.

"Oh, Hank. I'm sorry. I thought you were Tyler," she told him, a little bit embarrassed.

"Speaking of Tyler, how was your date?," asked Hank out of curiosity.

"There was no date," answered Val bitterly. "Tyler stood me up after I waited hours for him," she continued. "He didn't even bother to call."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I suppose you don't know his whereabouts?," he inquired.

"No, and I don't care either. Maybe he was just too chicken to show up after what he did to me!!!," she retorted with anger in her tone.

"Well, today is supposed to be his day off, but where could he possibly be! I know that his parents are away and he's left at his house. I tried calling him for like a million times last night, and still no one answered," he remarked.

Val's comments suddenly sank into his head. _'Did she just say that there was no date?'_

"Val, did you just say that there was no date?," he asked her, hoping for to find any logic in the situation.

"Yes, I did," she replied.

"Wait a minute, the last time I was chatting with him online last night, he told me that he had to go and pick you up!," he said, rather perplexed by the circumstances.

"Hank, I don't know what you're talking about. As far as I'm concerned, Tyler didn't show up!," she exclaimed and left Hank as she headed for their room. 

* * *

It was still 8:45, and Val had nothing to do. She saw Jamie asleep on the couch. _'Why did he come here so early anyway? Oh, well, I got to find something to do to kill time.'_ Val saw that the computer on the office was available, so she decided to use it and check her mail. As she logged in, her inbox stated "YOU'VE GOT MAIL!". She checked it out, and to her surprise, it was from Tyler. _'What does he want?'_ She opened it, and at the corner of the screen, noticed that it was sent the night before around 6:30. Intrigued and yet confused, she opened it to reveal a short letter…:

Val,

I hope you enjoyed our dinner tonight. And I hope you like the gift that I gave you. I had it made especially for you. If you must know, I probably did have fun too. I actually wrote this before I went to pick you up. Val, you're the most perfect girl in the world. I'm glad that I finally got the courage to ask you out, after two years of having a crush on you. I know this is only our first date, but, I love you Val. You might think I'm crazy, and I'm sorry if I'm scaring you or anything, but there's no one else but you for me. I know how I feel, and that's the truth. I decided to write this because I didn't want to tell you 'I love you' while we were on our date, let alone our first one. The only thing I dread about writing this is that I couldn't tell you that 'I love you' for the first time in person. I hope this doesn't change our relationship. I'll always be here for you.

~Tyler

Val was speechless. She didn't even know what just hit her. She knew herself that she loved Tyler with all her heart. In any case, how could this be possible? _'Why did he write this as if we really did went out last night?'_ Immediately, Val remembered what Hank said, and a worried look came across her face. _'Oh Tyler, where are you?'_ Without wasting a single second, she typed her screen name, and logged on to the IM room. When she was able to log in, she instantly found Tyler's screen name, although he left an away message. She read his note, and noticed that he had been idle for more than 12 hours.

"Oh my God! Tyler, where are you?," she cried.

Suddenly, the alarm went off, and Val, along with Jamie, went up to meet with Hank to proceed on the place of the emergency call.

* * *

"What do we have, Hank?," asked Jamie.

"There was a call for an unconscious male down at Soft Thunder Lane," replied Hank.

"Isn't that near where you live, Val?," inquired Jamie.

Val was just staring into space, not even paying attention to anything that was going on around her. All of a sudden, the spell broke off as Jamie tapped her shoulder.

"Val! Are you OK? You seemed distant a while ago," he informed her.

"Yea, I'm fine. Did you want anything?," she asked him, trying to change the subject.

"I asked you if Soft Thunder Lane is near your residence," he replied.

"It's a few blocks off my street. Why? Is something wrong?," she asked him.

"Didn't you hear what Hank said? The call was for an unconscious male down that street," he told her as though she was stupid.

"Oh my…it must be Tyler. We have to hurry! Hank, that unconscious male could be Tyler. I just read an e-mail from him that he wrote before he went to supposedly pick me up. And I also logged on the IM room and it showed that he had been gone and idle for more that 12 hours," she informed him, almost out of breath.

"If you're right, then we got to hurry," exclaimed Hank as he speeded up the ambulance.

* * *

As the ambulance got to the area, they all got off and took all the stuff needed. Val was the first one to get off, and to her dismay, she saw what she feared to see the most. She spotted a red Mustang convertible resembling Tyler's car. Without wasting a single minute, Val ran to the victim.

"Move back everyone," she ordered to the people hovering over the victim on the ground.

As she got a view of the victim's face, she was in shock. For a minute there, she thought it would actually be Tyler. Instead, it was just some middle-aged man who seemed to have passed out. Hank and Jamie then came along, and were both relieved to find out that it wasn't Tyler. Doing what they were supposed to do, they helped the man regain consciousness and left to return to the station. 

* * *

"Well, I sure am glad that wasn't Tyler," said Hank.

"Me too," seconded Val. 

"I know, or else you could have lost the Regional Championship with that old fogey," replied Jamie, in an attempt to light up the mood.

The group burst out a short round of laughter. 

"Tell me about it," exclaimed Hank as he laughed once more.

"Guys, he wasn't that old," added Val as she laughed again.

After that, they became quiet again. Trying to break the silence, Val decided to ask Hank a favor.

"Hank, would it be okay if we stop by Tyler's house? You know, to check if he's alright," requested Val.

"Sure. I'll inform Alex," he answered. 

After getting Alex's approval, the group headed for Tyler's. Just then, the ambulance suddenly came to a stop. Jamie, who was sitting at the back, got thrown off from his chair.

"Ow! Hank, what was that for?," he demanded as he tried to regain balance.

"Tyler's car. It's parked over there," he responded as he pointed in the distance to a car in a secluded place near the woods.

Out of curiosity, the group headed for the vehicle. It was indeed Tyler's car. A red Mustang convertible with the plate number saying 'FTBL4LIFE'. 

"What's he doing here?," asked Val, obviously a rhetorical question.

"How did he get here?" proclaimed Hank.

"The question is, why is he here?," added Jamie.

As they neared the car, they noticed that the front window was broken, obviously done deliberately, as there was no sign of any car crash. Worried and anxious about what happened to their friend, the three rushed to him. What they saw could only be described as ruthless and inhuman. In the backseat of the car laid a deadened version of Tyler Connell. His face was covered with blood, and it was obvious that the he had more injuries on him. In a heartbeat, Jamie quickly proceeded removed his body from the car, as Hank ran back to the ambulance and drove it closer to their location. Val just stood there, not even knowing where to begin or what to say. _'Tyler, is that really you? How did this happen? This must be a dream. It just HAD to be…?'_

"Val, can I get a little help here," demanded Jamie.

Val quickly snapped out of her thoughts, and went to assist Jamie. 

"Is there a pulse?" asked Hank as he approached them carrying the backboard.

"Barely," replied Jamie. "He's still hanging in there," he added.

"Well, at least we still have him," remarked Hank as he and Jamie went on to move Tyler's limp body on the backboard. Val once again could only watch and look on. Shock, disbelief and grief were present on her face. 

* * *

As Hank and Jamie managed to set Tyler's body in the back of the ambulance, Hank ordered them to move. Jamie was already in the passenger seat, when Hank noticed Val. He could only guess what was going on through her mind.

"Val, we have to go," he told her. "We need to get him to the hospital as soon as possible," he insisted.

Val nodded and headed in the backseat of the ambulance. She gave Hank the signal and the ambulance quickly moved. Val looked at Tyler's body again, and this time, she finally broke down in tears. _'How could this be? You were all right yesterday. Who could have done this to you? You're the nicest person I know. Why did you have to go through all this?'_ As she took a hold of one of his hands, brand new tears fell from her eyes. He felt so cold,…so lifeless.

"Tyler," she whispered in between her sobs. "I love you, too. Please don't leave me," she finished as she grasped his hand, hoping that one day, he will be able to grasp her hand back.

To be continued…

__

Sorry guys, but I have to stop here L . I know it was kind of long, but I hope you liked it. I'll post the next one when I finish writing it. And for all of you who wrote reviews, THANK YOU!!!, especially Mad Cow's words of encouragement (hehe)


	5. Man in the mirror

**__**

Disclaimer: All the characters in this fanfic belong to Disney and any other company that owns the series 'In A Heartbeat'. This is my 6th fic. Please read and review!!!J

__

Scenes from the previous episode…

"Val, we have to go," he told her. "We need to get him to the hospital as soon as possible," he insisted.

Val nodded and headed in the backseat of the ambulance. She gave Hank the signal and the ambulance quickly moved. Val looked at Tyler's body again, and this time, she finally broke down in tears. _'How could this be? You were all right yesterday. Who could have done this to you? You're the nicest person I know. Why did you have to go through all this?'_ As she took a hold of one of his hands, brand new tears fell from her eyes. He felt so cold,…so lifeless.

"Tyler," she whispered in between her sobs. "I love you, too. Please don't leave me," she finished as she grasped his hand, hoping that one day, he will be able to grasp her hand back.

To be continued…

* * *

****

No One Else but You: "Man in the mirror"

The hospital seemed deserted. Usually, tons people could be seen coming in and out of the door. Doctors and nurses would be present going through the hallways. And the place would be filled with such volume, that no one could even hear themselves speak. This day deemed to be the opposite. Barely anyone was in the building. As one would walk down the hall, the sound of a foot against the floor would echo through the walls. Then again, it was still late Saturday morning. Hardly anything happens around this time. Except maybe today. Earlier Jamie, Hank, and Val found Tyler's body, beaten and hammered, inside his demolished car. As they mounted him in the ambulance, they directly headed to the nearest hospital. When they arrived, they quickly brought him in, and he was immediately sent to the emergency room. It was almost noon, and still no word came about Tyler's condition. Just then, someone with a familiar face came in…

"What is going on here?" asked an annoyed Alex. "I was in the middle of a VERY important meeting when I got your message to come to the hospital as soon as possible because there was some sort of an emergency."

"It's Tyler. We found his body all beaten up inside his car earlier after a call," informed Hank as he stood up to meet him.

"How is he doing?" asked Alex, now filled with concern.

"He's still in the emergency room right now," replied Jamie.

"There was no word yet, sir," added Hank returning to his seat.

"How did this happen?" inquired Alex.

"We don't know sir…we just don't know," responded Val as she burst into tears.

"Have you called the police?" asked Alex.

"Yes. We called them as soon as we got Tyler to the hospital. They believed he was attacked somewhere along Huntington Drive, and that his attacker or attackers moved the car in an attempt to hide it. They theorize that the attacker's or attackers' intent was to hide the body in a concealed place, secluded enough to avoid anyone from finding it, and leaving the body to helpless to die. They assumed it was an attempted murder," narrated Hank.

"Luckily, the assailant or assailants were stupid enough to leave their fingerprints on the car, especially on the wheel. Well, they're human after all," added Jamie.

"I suppose there are no suspects yet," remarked Alex. "In the meantime, you guys better get back to work. I know this is hard for all of you, but you have other responsibilities to attend to. Tyler is the hospital's responsibility now. I'll inform you guys if there's any progress."

Alex left and started to dial a number on his cell phone. The squad then got up from their seats and headed outside.

"What time is our shift over?" asked Jamie.

"Our shift is over at 6. That means we still have about 6 hours to go," replied Val.

"This is gonna be a long day," commented Hank as they got in the ambulance.

* * *

Tyler's parents finally came to the hospital. William had a business trip in London, and Tyler's mom decided to accompany him. They got on the quickest flight to Kingsport as soon as they heard the news. The time was 3:00. They headed for the front desk.

"I would like to know where Tyler Connell's room is please?" asked Tyler's mom.

"It's right down the hall, to the left, in room 166," replied the person in the desk. 

Tyler's mom, with William behind her, hurried to the room. When they neared the room, Alex came over to meet them. 

"Hello Mr. Jenks…Mrs. Jenks," greeted Alex. "Tyler was put in intensive care earlier. The doctor reported that he had a severe head trauma. They haven't updated me on that one yet. Aside from the head trauma, he has 4 broken ribs, a fractured left arm, and injured right knee, and just some minor bruises."

"Oh Tyler," cried Tyler's mom as William comforted her.

"Who did this to him?" exclaimed William, obviously angered by the situation.

"The police are on to it, sir," replied Alex.

Once again, the air was silent between them.

* * *

More than a few hours later, a doctor approached them. From the look on his face, Alex knew for sure that it wasn't a good sign. The doctor removed his mask and began to talk.

"Hello. My name is Andrew Bradford. I'm the neurosurgeon in charge of Tyler. I assume you must be Tyler's parents," he stated.

"Yes. I'm his mom, and this is his stepdad, William Jenks," she introduced herself.

"Pleased to meet you," spoke William as he shook the doctor's hands.

"Likewise. Well, I have good news, and some bad news. The good news is that Tyler is in stable condition," he informed them.

Sighs of relief overcame the three adults.

"Now comes the bad news. As you all might know by now, Tyler suffered a severe head trauma. He regained consciousness a few minutes ago, but he's now sleeping. A blow in the head causes acute damage to the brain. The person might go into coma, have a seizure, or even have a change in mentation, or thinking. However………"

* * *

Jamie was on his way home from the station. Their shift finally ended after a long day of calls. Although equally important, they weren't at all as serious as to what happened to Tyler. Jamie went inside his house, and was greeted by his sisters. Then, he went up to his room, hoping to have some time to think.

"How did that happen to you, Tyler?" he asked himself. "Who could have done such a thing?"

Jamie went silent again, caught within his thoughts. _'He didn't even get a chance to go on his long-awaited date with Val. He was so happy to finally be able to go out with her. Who would have thought it would end like this? Hopefully, he'd still be alive. Life is so unexpected. Who knows, maybe Tyler lost his chance. What if that happens to me? No one knows what will happen in the future. I certainly learned one thing out of all of this. SEIZE THE MOMENT WHILE YOU CAN! That's it. That's what I should do. I should seize the moment, before I become someone else's memory._ Just the thought of himself as dead made Jamie tremble._ I know what I need to do. Tyler gave me the idea the other day. What have I got to lose? I have to go for it. Thanks Tyler…and get better soon.'_

* * *

Hank was the last one to leave the station. As he headed outside the lockers, he noticed the stillness that filled the room. It just wasn't the same without Tyler. Usually, the two of them left the station together. As he went on and headed for the door, he noticed a wrapped object near Tyler's usual bunk. He went to check it out, and to his surprise, it was addressed to him. He opened it, and what he found made him cry and stifle a small laugh simultaneously. It was the football from the game the yesterday. Inside was a note from Tyler.

Hank, 

Although this championship ball was awarded to me, I want you to have it as a token of my appreciation. You've always been there for me through good times and bad, and you've always been my inspiration. Thanks for being my best friend, and brother that I never had. Promise me that you'll never make me forget this night. I'll see you around.

Your best friend for life,

Tyler

~P.S. - If you're wondering, I sneaked in right after I left the game last night.

Hank put the football in his backpack. He saw the picture that the gang took when Jamie first became an official EMT. Taking one last glance at it, Hank left the room. As he got in his car, he sat there for a moment.

"Don't worry, Tyler," he spoke as though talking to him. "You'll be back here in no time. I'll make sure you won't forget that night."

He then sped off and headed for home.

* * *

Val finally got home after her long shift. She still couldn't believe what had just happened today. It happened all so quickly. When she got home, Brooke was watching the TV.

"Hey Val," she greeted her as she stood up from the couch and went over to her.

"Hey…," she replied, melancholy evident in her voice and face.

"Whoa, who died?" joked Brooke.

With that comment, Val went into tears.

"Did I say something wrong?" asked Brooke, a little bit concerned.

"No…yes…I don't know," answered Val.

Suddenly, Brooke remembered a call from Alex about Tyler being in the hospital.

"I'm sorry, Val. I forgot about Tyler," she told her.

"It's fine. I just need to go somewhere right now," she quickly said to her as she took her car keys and headed outside.

"Val! Wait! Where are you going?" yelled Brooke, but she was too late.

Val drove to the station. She knew her shift ended already, but she just had to go there. When she got there, she headed straight for the back, and into the basketball court. Waiting for a few moments, Val stepped into the court. The silence that enveloped her made tears fall from her eyes.

"Tyler,…come back," she whispered into the cold air.

She couldn't hear any ball dribbling like she used to. The ball was lying still on the concrete floor. There were no balls going into the hoop. There was no life in the court. Scared by the thought that the same thing might happen to Tyler, Val went over to pick up the ball.

"I'll help you live again," she mumbled as she began to dribble the ball and shooting it into the hoop, playing her own individual game of basketball.

* * *

His body felt as if a ton of bricks had fallen on it. Every single move he made felt like hell. As he opened his eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling came to view. He looked around. He tried to get up, but can only manage an upright position. _'Where am I?'_ With all his might, he managed to sit on the bed._ 'What is this place?'_ He tried to stand up, but almost fell as pain had overcome him. He let out a small cry. After a few seconds, he was able to move around a little. As he continued to move, a certain figure tended to intrigue him. In his mind, he kept wondering about the mysterious form. _'Who is that man in the mirror?'_

* * *

"However,…" started to say the doctor. "…we've come to the conclusion from the neuro-scans that Tyler is going to endure a different illness. Mrs. Jenks…Mr. Jenks…Tyler has amnesia."

To be continued…


	6. I'm Tyler, and you are...?

**__**

Disclaimer: All the characters in this fanfic belong to Disney and any other company that owns the series 'In A Heartbeat', except for Dr. Andrew Bradford. This is my 6th fic. Please read and review!!!J

__

Scenes from the previous episode…

His body felt as if a ton of bricks had fallen on it. Every single move he made felt like hell. As he opened his eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling came to view. He looked around. He tried to get up, but can only manage an upright position. _'Where am I?'_ With all his might, he managed to sit on the bed._ 'What is this place?'_ He tried to stand up, but almost fell as pain had overcome him. He let out a small cry. After a few seconds, he was able to move around a little. As he continued to move, a certain figure tended to intrigue him. In his mind, he kept wondering about the mysterious form. _'Who is that man in the mirror?'_

* * *

"However,…" started to say the doctor. "…we've come to the conclusion from the neuro-scans that Tyler is going to endure a different illness. Mrs. Jenks…Mr. Jenks…Tyler has amnesia."

To be continued…

* * *

****

No One Else but You: "I'm Tyler, and you are…?"

Wintry weather overcame the night. The wind was blowing coolly outside. There was drizzle, and the air was chilly. The Kingsport hospital was filled with patients, ranging from people with the common cold to people with life threatening illnesses. Among the people within the hospital doors were Tyler's mom Daphne, William, and Alex. A few minutes earlier, the doctor presiding over Tyler informed them that he had acquired amnesia. The news only brought shock and surprise to them.

"This can't be...no…not for my son," cried Mrs. Jenks. "Tyler has so much going for him."

"It's going to be OK, Daphne," comforted William.

"I'll be glad to tell you, Mrs. Jenks, that amnesia can be surpassed," he informed her. "With the proper treatments and all."

"Doctor, exactly what type of amnesia are we dealing with here?" Alex inquired.

"Actually, we haven't clarified that yet," he reported to him. "Right now, the scans only told us that there is a definite sign of amnesia."

"Well, when can you clarify it?" asked William.

"Pretty soon," he replied with confidence in his voice. "We'll just have to wait until Tyler awakens. In the meantime, I suggest you should get some sleep. I'll keep you all posted if anything drastic happens, bad or good."

All of a sudden, a voice from the intercom became audible.

**__**

"Doctor Bradford...report to room 166 immediately."

"Isn't that Tyler's room?" Mrs. Jenks asked worriedly.

"You're absolutely right," he said. "I'll keep you up to date on what happened after I attend to my patient. For the time being, I suggest you go to the cafeteria and have yourselves some food. If not, you could go home and come back later. It's only 7:00."

Bradford then left and headed for Tyler's room. The three adults were left outside the hall, all dumbstruck. Breaking the silence, Alex went ahead and spoke.

"Why don't we go and grab a bite," he proposed. 

"Lead the way," replied William, with his wife alongside him.

"This way," he said as he proceeded to the cafeteria.

* * *

The boy in the room collapsed to the floor. The aching he had endured was too much for him to handle. Minutes later, he heard people coming towards him, but he was in too much pain to even bother speaking. He just closed his eyes and let them deal with him. The next thing he knew, he was back on his bed. By now, he was absolutely sure that the burden he had suffered had tripled its effect. He can't even bear to move a muscle. Trying his best, he managed to open his eyes, wide enough to see an unknown figure standing in front of him.

"It's nice to see you awake again," the figure greeted.

"Who are you?" he began to ask. "And what is this place? Why am I here?"

"I'm Dr. Andrew Bradford.," he introduced himself. "I'm the doctor who is in-charge of you. You're in the hospital right now. You're friends found you brutally attacked, and left in your car in some deserted area. You have broken ribs, your left arm is fractured, and your left knee is severely injured."

"That explains why I can't even bear to move," he told him.

"And you just made it worse by trying to stand up and walk moments earlier," he scolded him. "And then as a result, you collapsed on the floor. Luckily, you didn't get any more injuries than what you already have."

The boy however, appeared to not have heard him. His head was tilted in a way so that he could look directly at the mirror across from him. He wore a distraught look on his face.

"Doctor, who am I?" he asked glumly.

"Well, for starters…," he started to say, but was cut off.

The boy now looked directly at him. His eyes were starting to water.

"How come I don't know anything about me?" he questioned him. "How come I can't remember anything about my past?"

"I'm sorry, Tyler," he told him. "I know how hard this must be for you…"

"You don't know half of it!" he yelled in frustration, rather than anger, but hurt himself when he tried to get up. 

"Easy there," he said to him. "And you're right. I don't know exactly how you feel, but I've dealt with people who have been through what you're going through now. It wasn't easy for them. Amnesia never is. But you just have to move on, and live. That's the only way you could get through this. You have so many people who care about you, and they will be the ones who will walk with you along the way. And in time, you will eventually get back on track."

"Do you think so?" he asked him.

"I **know** so," he replied sternly. "You're just lost right now. But if you really **want** it, you **will** find your way home. You just have to take it easy. We'll all be here to help you."

"So, my name's Tyler, huh?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, you're Tyler Connell," he answered. "And as I mentioned before, you have amnesia, that is basically a period of memory loss, which in your situation resulted from a severe blow to the head. As for your assailant…or assailants, we don't know any information yet about their identities. But that's not the important thing. What matters is that you're alive, and that you're OK."

"Yea…um, doctor, can I have a moment alone by myself,…please?" he pleaded.

"Sure," he agreed. "I'm just glad you're fine. I'll tell the others to hinder any visits for you at the moment. If you need anything, you can always use the buzzer located above your head."

Dr. Bradford then left, closing the door behind him. Tyler just stayed there, his body flat on the bed. _'I might as well have been dead. I don't even know who I am…who I was,…or should I say Tyler Connell. And did he say I was OK? I'm far from OK. I have amnesia for crying out loud. I'm really this close to just giving up. You could find tons of ways to die from this place. But then why do I get this feeling that I just had to live? I don't even know any of these people…Why?'_ Giving up on trying to find some answers on his puzzling thoughts, Tyler drifted into another sleep.

* * *

A few moments later, the trio headed back to Tyler's room. On their way, they ran into Dr. Bradford. To their relief, no signs of worry or distress were present on his face.

"I was just about to go look for you guys," exclaimed Bradford. "I have some update on Tyler's condition. If you could follow me to my office, I'll tell you the details there."

The three followed him, anxiously waiting to hear what he had to say. Finally, they arrived at his big, yet modest office.

"Please, sit down," he directed them to the chairs.

"What's the news?" asked the eager Alex.

"Is Tyler fine?" added Mrs. Jenks.

"What did you find out?" jumped in William.

"I see that you all are excited," he stated, grinning. "For a start, Tyler is doing fine. He seems to be having a rough time about this whole deal. I had a little talk with him, but it probably wasn't enough to reassure him. Nonetheless, I did find out a little more about his condition. After our short conversation, I found out that Tyler is experiencing retrograde amnesia, which is actually a lot better in some cases, like anterograde. This means that Tyler can't remember things prior to the incident."

"What's the difference between that and anterograde amnesia?" asked William.

"Anterograde amnesia is the loss of memory for events immediately following a trauma," he explained. "This is also better known as posttraumatic amnesia. The only thing is, with retrograde amnesia, it would be harder for Tyler to identify whoever attacked him."

"Well, have you figured out how long it will take until Tyler regains his lost memories?" asked Tyler's mother.

"These memories are not actually lost, since they can generally be recovered through psychotherapy or after the amnesic state has ended," he explained. "Occasionally amnesia may last for weeks, months, or even years, during which time the person may begin an entirely new life pattern. Such prolonged reactions are called fugue states. When recovered, the person is usually able to remember events that occurred prior to onset, but events of the fugue period are mostly forgotten. They will however, usually recover and be able to recall the events leading up to the event and after."

"What possible treatments are available to help Tyler cope with this?" asked Alex.

"Treatments obviously include rest, and sometimes mild sedatives are taken," he informed them. "As I brought up earlier, psychotherapy would also help. It does however require counseling or psychiatric consideration. Most importantly, family support should be provided. Reality orientationis recommended as well. This includes the supply familiar music, objects, or photos to help the patient become oriented. Support for relearning may also be required in some cases. In addition, any medication schedules should be written down to avoid depending on memory."

"Is this all we can do to help?" Alex asked, obviously wanting to be of assistance.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he replied. "Interaction with other familiar faces such as friends, co-workers, and classmates would also help dramatically in his recovery. Then again, as the injury heals, the memory will gradually return. One of the things that we just have to learn to work with is time. We don't know what will happen next, but hopefully it will be good."

After the discussion, the three set out to leave.

"One more thing," he added. "I would suggest that you get Tyler some crutches, or a wheelchair since his knee is injured. I don't recommend him to walk any time soon."

"When will he be able to get out of the hospital?" asked Mrs. Jenks.

"Until his broken ribs are somewhat healed, I would recommend that he stay here until then," he notified her.

"Thank you doctor," thanked William. "This has been really helpful."

"It's my pleasure," he replied. "By the way, you guys should really head home for a while. It's only 8:00 and Tyler is resting at the moment. You could come by in an hour or two. If anything comes up, I'll call you."

"OK," said Alex. "Thanks for the info, doc. We'll see you later."

* * *

It was 9:30. The hospital seemed to have settled down. The crowded halls earlier were empty. Tyler's parents, and Alex came back to the hospital, hoping to visit and see him. Once again, they met up with Dr. Bradford.

"Doctor, can we see him now?" asked Tyler's mom.

"I think he's awake right now," he said. "I'll have to accompany you though as to not startle him. Follow me."

The three did as they were told, and went inside Tyler's room. They can only guess what their meeting will result. As they went inside, they say a boy looking lost with a mystified look on his face. He was sitting slightly upright on his bed. When he heard the noise, he turned his head to the direction of the sound. The three just looked at him. The boy just stared, and greeted the doctor, the only person he knew at the time.

"Good evening, doctor," he said.

"Hey Tyler!" he greeted back. "It's nice to see you up again. Well, I want you to meet these people. They know you very well. I know this might come as a surprise, but they won't bite you or anything…at least I hope not. I'll just sit over there, and leave you to talk."

Bradford then went ahead and sat on the small couch by the door. The three then approached Tyler, as if he was a little boy. Daphne was the first one to greet him.

"Hi Tyler!" she began as she tried not to cry. 

"Hi," he said in return. "Who might you be?"

"I'm your mother," she told him. "I know you might not remember me,…"

Daphne just started to cry. William took a hold of her and then introduced himself to Tyler.

"Hi," he said. "I'm William."

"Are you my father?" questioned Tyler.

"No. I'm William Jenks,…your stepdad."

"Oh," he stated. "It's nice to meet you. Well, are you my father?"

He directed his gaze on Alex. Alex let out a small laugh. 

"I'm sorry, but no," he replied. "I'm Alex. I'm your boss."

"It's nice to meet you, too," he stated. 

He then looked at his "supposedly" mother._ 'She did look very sincere. I can just tell by her eyes.'_

"Mom," he said awkwardly. "Where is my dad?"

"Honey, your dad and I are divorced," she informed him. "He doesn't live with us anymore."

"Oh, I see," he sadly replied. "So, how old am I? What job do I have?"

"You're 16, Tyler," his mom responded.

"And you work for me as a teen EMT, or Emergency Medical Technician," continued Alex.

"Sounds like fun," he said, his voice lacking emotion. "You all probably know my condition be now if you talked to Dr. Bradford."

"Yes, and we will help you," added his mother. "We'll be with you along the way. All of us will."

"And your friends will be here for you as well," said Alex.

"Thanks," he said, showing no sign of excitement.

"I think we better go," proclaimed William, getting the hint that Tyler doesn't really want to talk at the moment.

"I'll see you later, Tyler," said Alex.

"Goodbye, honey," exclaimed Daphne as she hugged Tyler.

Tyler hugged her back, knowing how she must be feeling at the moment. For some reason he can't explain, he knew that this person really was his mother. 

"I'll be fine, mom," he told her. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye," was her final word before she joined the others outside.

Dr. Bradford then approached him.

"Tyler, I'll see you later, OK?" he told him. "Now get some rest. You need it."

"All right," he said. "See ya."

* * *

Sunday finally came to Kingsport. The day was much more calmer compared to the condition last night. The sun was shining brightly, and the wind was blowing gently. It was a perfect morning. Val woke up to the thunderous sound of books falling to the floor.

"Sorry," Brooke apologized as she picked up the books on the floor.

"That's OK," said Val. "At least it managed to wake me up. What time is it?"

"The 21st century," she replied sarcastically.

"Gee, that's helpful," commented Val to her sister's usual sarcastic replies.

She looked at her clock. It was almost 9:00. She obviously overslept, even though she had every right to. She spent the whole night worrying about Tyler. She even went to the basketball court in the station, for obvious reasons. She was rather upset that she didn't get a call from Alex last night. _'He must have forgotten. I just wish Tyler is OK.'_

"Brooke, are mom and dad downstairs?" she asked her.

"No, they're on the roof, still eating breakfast with the squirrels," she replied, occupied by whatever she's doing.

"OK, thanks," she said before she went downstairs to eat.

When she got downstairs, she saw her dad watching the news, while her mom was in the kitchen.

"Good morning, dear," greeted her mom.

"Good morning, mom…dad," she greeted back. "What's for breakfast?"

"We have some French toast, milk, orange juice, pancakes, cereals, and some leftovers in the fridge if you want," she told her.

"I'll just have some French toast," she said as she took a plate and took some food to the table to eat. "Um, did Alex call?"

"No, honey, he hasn't," replied her dad as he turned off the TV. "But Hank called a while ago."

"Really,…what did he say?" she asked with interest.

"He just said that he and Jamie are going to visit Tyler today," Mr. Lanier informed her.

"Can I visit Tyler later?" she asked them.

"Sure,…but you have to finish your chores before you can go," said her mom. "You can bring Brooke along too."

"OK," she replied excitedly. "Thanks. I'll call Caitie later and see if she could come with me."

Val finished her breakfast, and went ahead on finishing her tasks. She couldn't wait to see Tyler.

* * *

Hank and Jamie arrived at the hospital. It was still 9:00. Surprisingly, Alex was already there. Curious, they headed towards him.

"Hey Alex," said Hank. "What are you doing here this early?"

Startled, Alex turned around and saw Hank and Jamie.

"I could ask you the same thing," he said. "I think we all apparently came here for one reason, and that's Tyler."

"What's the deal with his condition?" asked Jamie. "Is he a lot better now?"

"Not necessarily," replied Alex. "He did regain consciousness last night. I even got a chance to talk to him. He looked terrible, but he's fine nonetheless."

All of a sudden, Alex grew silent. Hank and Jamie knew that there was more to the story that he had shared with them.

"Alex," said Hank. "What is it?"

"You can tell us," Jamie insisted.

"Tyler attained amnesia," Alex solemnly said. 

Hank and Jamie were stunned by what they had just heard, similar to the adults' expression when they first heard the news.

"What type of amnesia?" asked Hank.

"Retrograde."

"Can we see him?" asked Jamie.

"Sure," Alex replied. "Just keep thins simple when you talk to him. Make him feel at ease. Don't do anything to confuse him."

A smile crept on Jamie's face.

"And I'm not kidding Jamie," he added.

"What?" he said innocently as Alex continued to glare at him. "OK, I promise."

"Follow me," he ordered. "Right this way."

As Alex led the way, the other two were trying to think of words to say to their friend. They knew it was going to be tough, but he's still Tyler, and they want to help him in any way they can. When Alex came into the room, the two heard Alex greeted by a familiar voice.

"Hey Alex!" said the boy. "Hi…," he directed to the two males who followed behind him.

"Tyler, I want you to meet two of your close friends," he said. "This is Hank Beecham…,"

"Hey," Hank said.

"…and this is Jamie Waite."

"Hi," Jamie greeted them.

"I'm Tyler,…which you all probably know," he responded with a small laugh.

"I'll leave you guys alone," Alex excused himself as he left the boys to themselves.

"So Tyler," started Hank. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," replied Tyler.

"Can you remember us?" Jamie asked.

Hank glared at him.

"What?" Jamie said. "I was just asking."

"Actually," answered Tyler. "…I have no clue who you guys are."

"Cool," replied Jamie.

"Yea,…sure," smiled Tyler.

"So what can you remember?" Hank asked.

"I remembered when I woke up on this bed," he replied. "That's about as far as my memory goes."

"That sucks doesn't it?" said Jamie.

"Yes it does," replied Tyler. "Are you two part of the EMS thing?"

"Yep," the two replied simultaneously.

"Is it fun?" Tyler asked again.

"Yes/No," Hank and Jamie responded, respectively.

Tyler chuckled a bit as Hank looked at Jamie in disbelief.

"Just kidding," he said. "The EMS thing is great. We help a lot of people in this town."

"I can't wait," Tyler commented. "I'm sure you guys are great at it."

"So are you," said Hank.

"Thanks, I guess," replied Tyler.

"Hank, do you mind if I go now?" asked Jamie.

"Why?" countered Hank.

"Because **I really** got to go," he replied as he went outside and headed for the restroom.

"So Hank, how did we get along as friends," asked Tyler, trying to find anything to say to him.

"We're actually best friends, believe it or not," he told Tyler.

"Really, that's cool," Tyler stated. "I can see myself getting along with you."

"I'm still your best friend though," Hank said as he took out something from the bag he was carrying.

"I know," he said as he curiously looked at what Hank was taking out of his bag. "What's that?"

"Well, you probably don't remember…," he explained.

Tyler looked at him with a look that said 'YOU THINK?'

"Anyway, this is the football that was given to you after we won the Regional Championships," he started to explain again. "You were…are the MVP of the game."

"Why do you have the ball?" asked Tyler suspiciously.

"Well, you actually gave it to me, but you don't remember that," he said. "Anyway, I'm giving it back to you."

"Why?" he asked.

"I have my reasons," Hank told him as he headed out for the door. "I'll see you later, Tyler. And I promise."

"Promise what?" he shouted, hoping Hank had heard him, but he was too late.

His attention lingered on the ball. On it were signatures of people unfamiliar to him. In the center, it said "REGIONAL CHAMPS '01". He held it for a longer period of time before he set it on the table next to him.

* * *

Val arrived at the hospital around 10:30, along with Caitie and Brooke. When she got there, she saw Hank's car leaving already. She was sort of disappointed to have missed him. As they got in, they saw Jamie in the hallway talking to Alex. When they came up to them, Alex had a beep. 

"Hey guys," Alex greeted. "I'd love to chat, but I got to go."

Alex then left and stormed out of building.

"Hey girls," Jamie greeted them. 

"Hey Jamie," said Caitie. "Why are you here so early?"

"I went to see Tyler," he said.

"What room is he in?" asked Val. "Can I go see him?"

"Sure," he said. "He's in room 166."

"I'll catch up with you guys later," Val said as she went and looked for his room.

As Val left, Brooke excused herself from the two.

"I'll go look around for a while," she said. "I'll see if I can do anything here. I'll meet up with you later."

Brooke then sped off and headed down the hall.

"So James, how are you?" Caitie asked.

"I'm fine," he answered. "You?"

"I'm fine," replied Caitie.

There was a moment of silence between them. Jamie's heart was pounding. _'Should I just do it now? No one is around after all,…and time is surely ticking away. Anything can happen…' _While they were walking, Jamie slid down. He somehow didn't see the warning sign set on the floor that said 'CAUTION: Wet Floor'. Regaining his balance, he stood up and acted as though nothing happened._ 'See what I mean?'_

"Jamie, are you all right?" Caitie said while laughing at the same time.

"I'm OK," Jamie assured her.

"What's up with you?" she asked. "You can tell me."

"Actually, do you want to go outside for a while?" Jamie suggested.

"OK," she replied. "If that's what you want."

As they reached outside. They walked around the building. Eventually, they came across a small garden at the back. 

"Would you like to sit down for a minute?" Jamie invited her.

"Sure," she said as she sat down on the small bench.

Jamie then sat down beside her.

"So, what's on your mind, Waite?" she asked.

"Can I ask you something?" Jamie started.

"Go on," Caitie urged him.

"Did Tyler's accident made you think about things differently?" Jamie said in a serious tone.

"I haven't really thought much about it," shared Caitie. "Why? Did it make you think differently about stuff?"

"Since the incident, I've been thinking a lot," said Jamie. "And I know I don't do that much."

"I wasn't gonna say anything, but since you mentioned it…," Caitie remarked with a laugh.

"Anyway, it made me think that life is something to be treasured," he went on. "It made me think that the unexpected could happen any time. Who knows if I'll be here tomorrow? Tyler just had one of the greatest nights of his life, and then all of a sudden it was almost taken away from him," he continued but stopped. _'At some point, it seemed like it was taken away from him. He does have amnesia after all. Wait a minute, I forgot to tell Val. Oh well, it's too late for that now.'_ "He was lucky that he got another chance, but usually most people don't," he resumed his speech. "I think that in an instant, you could be another person's memory. And I thought to myself, that what matters most is now. Not yesterday,…not tomorrow,…but today. You just have to seize the moment while you still have the chance…while you're still alive."

Caitie just looked at Jamie. _'He's being serious. Is that really you Jamie? I've never seen that side of you before. You seem so…sensitive?'_

"Jamie," Caitie said, shocked by the sincerity and compassion in his words. "I'm…speechless."

"Caitie," he started again while looking straight into her eyes. "Would it be okay if I ask you out sometime?"

Once again, Caitie was shocked. Her jaw must have fallen to the ground. She was still left wordless.

"Caitie, say something, please," pleaded Jamie.

"I sure wasn't expecting that," Caitie said. "You didn't just say that, did you Jamie Waite?"

"I just did, Caitie Roth" Jamie said confidently. "So, what's your answer? I can't stay here and wait forever you know."

"Yes, that would be nice," was Caitie's answer as she looked at him.

"Great," exclaimed Jamie. "How about tonight?"

"I'm busy," she informed him. "Sorry."

"Monday?" begged Jamie, which he took as a 'no' when Caitie shook her head. "Tuesday?… Wednesday?…Thursday?…Friday? Come on, Roth."

"I'm busy," she told him again, now amused at how hard Jamie was trying. "You look so cute when you beg, you know that?"

"If I beg some more," Jamie pleaded. "…will my cuteness, plus my extremely good looks, get me a date?"

"You would think, wouldn't you?" an amused Caitie remarked.

"Please, please, please…," he continued to beg, but stopped when he noticed a bunch of girls laughing at him at the corner of his eyes.

"Jamie, calm down," she insisted. "I'm free Saturday."

"Really?" asked Jamie.

"Yes really," she said.

Jamie smiled, quite proud of himself for finally getting the courage to ask Caitie out.

"I knew you couldn't resist my good looks," kidded Jamie.

"Oh, shut up Mr. Ego," countered Caitie as she playfully hit him on the shoulders. "So why did you do that?"

"Do what?" he asked.

"Ask me out," she responded. "…especially here of all places."

"Just seizing the moment," replied Jamie as he flashed her one of his irresistible smiles.

* * *

Val finally found Tyler's room. She was quite excited to finally be able to see him again. She missed him so much. As she held the door open, tons of emotions and thoughts were rushing through her head. When she went inside, she saw a familiar boy gazing towards her. He smiled, and she smiled back.

"I'm Tyler, and you are…?" the boy questioned her.

The question startled her a bit, but she thought to herself that it must have been a joke.

"Very funny, Tyler," she said as a come back.

"No, seriously," he said. "I don't know who you are."

"Sure you do," she said, now fearing the fact that he might not be kidding.

"No, I don't," he replied boldly.

"I'm Val," she told him concerned. "Don't you remember?"

"Didn't anyone tell you?" he asked.

"Tell me what?" she inquired.

"I have amnesia," Tyler informed her.

To be continued…

__

J Sorry for the delay. I really had to do an in-depth research before proceeding to write this particular fic. Besides that, I have my finals this week, and I really really really have to study. Anyway, I hope you like it, and please review!!! J

__ __


	7. The stranger in me

**__**

Disclaimer: All the characters in this fanfic belong to Disney and any other company that owns the series 'In A Heartbeat', except for Dr. Andrew Bradford, Jeffrey Gile, the girl in the booth, Tara, and Connor. The movie titles are not real as well, and if they are then I don't own them. This is part 7 of the story. Please review!!!

~~~NOTE: The lines shaded purple/violet are the lines coming from the movie~~~

__

Scenes from the previous episode…

Val finally found Tyler's room. She was quite excited to finally be able to see him again. She missed him so much. As she held the door open, tons of emotions and thoughts were rushing through her head. When she went inside, she saw a familiar boy gazing towards her. He smiled, and she smiled back.

"I'm Tyler, and you are…?" the boy questioned her.

The question startled her a bit, but she thought to herself that it must have been a joke.

"Very funny, Tyler," she said as a come back.

"No, seriously," he said. "I don't know who you are."

"Sure you do," she said, now fearing the fact that he might not be kidding.

"No, I don't," he replied boldly.

"I'm Val," she told him concerned. "Don't you remember?"

"Didn't anyone tell you?" he asked.

"Tell me what?" she inquired.

"I have amnesia," Tyler informed her.

To be continued…

* * *

****

No One Else but You: "The stranger in me" 

"Am…am…amnesia?" stuttered Val about the stunning news.

"Yea, amnesia," Tyler confirmed.

"I have to go," Val quickly said as she stormed out the door, almost in the verge of crying.

"Wait!!!" he yelled but was too late. _'What's her name again?'_

* * *

Caitie and Jamie went back in the building. Both of them couldn't help but smile. Jamie just asked Caitie out, much to her surprise. Once again, they walked down the hallway.

"Remember how you slipped over there earlier?" Caitie pointed as she reminded him and laughed. "You're such a klutz."

"Hey!" he said defensively, but joking at the same time. "That was just because I was thinking of you."

"Working on the charm there, are you James?" Caitie countered.

"Is it working?" Jamie asked curiously, winking at her.

"I still think you're a klutz," she told him as she laughed again.

"No I'm…ahhh," he screamed.

By a sudden twist of fate, Jamie tripped again on the exact same spot. Caitie just busted out laughing. She was about to say something when Jamie stopped.

"Don't even **dare** say anything," Jamie told her as he got up again.

"I wasn't gonna say anything," said Caitie innocently as she stifled a laugh.

Jamie was about to say something when Val walked past them, tears running down her eyes. Jamie and Caitie looked at each other, then ran after her.

"Val, what's wrong?" Caitie called out as she approached her.

"Tyler…he had…he told me…Jamie," Val cried as Caitie led her to a seat.

"What about Jamie?" Caitie asked again as she glared suspiciously at Jamie.

"Why…," Val said between sobs as she looked at him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell her what?" Caitie asked Jamie.

"Val, I'm so sorry," apologized Jamie. "I forgot. When I did remember, you were already gone."

Val continued to cry. Caitie tried to comfort her as she looked at Jamie.

"What is going on?" she asked him boldly.

"It's Tyler," replied Jamie. "He has amnesia."

"How come you didn't tell me this earlier?" she said disappointingly at him.

"I was occupied by something else, that I forgot," expressed Jamie. "I'm sorry."

Caitie just shook her head and turned her attention to Val. She felt sorry for her friend. She knew she must be feeling lost and awful at the moment. She knew that she cared for Tyler a lot, and hearing this must have been a shock for her, especially after what happened over the weekend. She knew she was heartbroken. 

"Val," she said. "What about Tyler? Did you just leave him there?"

"I ran out on him," she exclaimed wiping the tears off her face. "I couldn't bare to stay there. I was just stunned. I didn't know what to do."

"Are you gonna go back?" Caitie asked her.

"I don't know," replied Val. "Maybe later. I need some time to think this through right now."

"We'll just leave you here," Caitie told her as she stood up. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

"Thanks, but, I'll be fine," Val told Caitie.

"OK," she said. "Call me if you need anything."

Jamie and Caitie left Val alone. Caitie was still a bit upset at Jamie. She couldn't stand to see Val like this. Jamie on the other hand was feeling guilty. He spoke first.

"I'll go talk to Tyler, OK?" Jamie told Caitie.

"Can I come?" Caitie asked him. "I want to talk to him as well."

"Sure," he said as he offered Caitie his hand, which she gladly took. "Right this way."

* * *

Val stood up from her seat. She couldn't stand the empty halls, echoing every single movement in the building. She decided to take a walk outside. As she got to the back, she saw a small garden and decided to sit there. It was the same place Caitie and Jamie were at a while ago, though not of Val's knowledge. She stayed there quietly. She didn't cry anymore, just an emotionless look on her face. _'That then,…now this? Why? What if he can't remember me anymore? What if he never does come back? Then he wouldn't know how I feel? He doesn't even remember what he felt…what he said…who I am. God, I want Tyler back.' _Val drifted into tears again. Several minutes later, she felt a hand on her shoulders.

"Tyler?" she whispered as she turned her head, but it was only Hank.

Hank gave her a weak smile, as Val just dropped her head to her hands again. Hank had a sympathetic look on his face. He could only imagine what she's feeling. He just went home earlier to get something, and then came back as soon as he could to give Jamie a ride home. He ran into Jamie and Caitie, however, and was told about what happened with Val. He looked for her, and luckily, found her. He sat beside her.

"Are you OK?" he asked her as he handed her a handkerchief.

"A little better," she told him as she took it and wiped her tears off.

"I'm sorry about what happened," sympathized Hank.

"It's not your fault," Val assured him. "I guess I just couldn't accept the fact that this happened. When Tyler told me, I didn't know what to do. I think I didn't handle the situation correctly. I just left him there."

"Well, you have an excuse," Hank told her. "You didn't know when you visited him. If that was me, I would have done the same thing. When I heard the news, I was shocked as well, but I knew that I just needed to deal with it, for Tyler and myself."

"I guess you're right," exclaimed Val. "I'll go and see him now. I think I'm ready."

"Do you want me to come with you?" offered Hank.

"That's OK," replied Val as she gave Hank a small smile. "I can deal with it."

* * *

Tyler just finished talking with Jamie and Caitie a while ago. His thoughts lingered on their conversation. Jamie told him about Val, and apologized for not telling her. _'It wasn't his fault.' _Caitie also introduced herself. She told him she was Val's best friend. She also said that Val is a little bit sensitive at the moment, and that he should be easy on her if she ever comes to talk to him. _'I'll remember that.' _Lastly, Jamie and Caitie told him that the two of them were close friends, and that's why she acted that way. _'I didn't mean to hurt her. I thought she knew. But I guess if she was a close friend of mine, she acted rightfully then. I just hope she comes back. I want to get to know her.'_ All of a sudden the door opened._ 'This must be her. I can tell by the way she opened that door.'_

"Hey there," he smiled and greeted her as she came into view.

"Hey," she greeted back. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to run out…"

"You don't need to apologize," he told her. "I understand. Jamie told me."

"Oh," Val said awkwardly. "Um, I'm Val by the way."

"I know," he exclaimed. "You told me earlier. What's your last name?"

"Lanier," she told him as she found a chair and sat next to him.

"You don't happen to be related to a young blonde, are you?" he asked her. 

"You mean Brooke?" she asked him, surprised.

"Yea," Tyler replied. "That's her name. She came in a few minutes after you left. She told me that she ran into my doctor, and he told her about my condition. She didn't stay long though. She said she had something to do."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Who knows," he replied. "Well, anyway, Jamie and Caitie told me that we're close friends. I'm sorry if I caused you grief or anything."

"It's not your fault," Val told him. "You didn't do this to yourself."

"Tell me more about you," he stated deliberately so as to change the topic.

"Well first of all, I'm 16 years old," she started. "I'm a cheerleader for Kingsport High. I'm an "overachiever" says Caitie. I'm also an EMT. I love school, and my family and friends. There's more, but I guess that's about it for now." 

"It's nice to finally meet you again, Val Lanier," Tyler said as he shook her hand.

"Yea," Val replied. "It's nice to see you too."

Val's gaze dropped on the football on the table beside Tyler.

"I guess Hank told you how you won the game for Kingsport, huh?" said Val.

"Yea," Tyler replied as he grabbed the ball again. "He gave me the football, although he said I gave it to him."

"Tyler?" she began to ask. "Do you know if you'll ever get your memories back?"

"The doctor said that with time, I will eventually remember," he informed her. "And also with the help of medication, counseling, family, and friends."

"If you ever need anything, I'll be here for you," she told him. 

"I'll keep that mind," he remarked.

There was a knock on the door before someone came in.

"Val," said Caitie. "I don't mean to interfere, but can we go now? I have to do something at home."

"I'll be out in a sec," she told Caitie before she left.

"I guess I'll see you around," exclaimed Tyler.

"Yea, later," she replied to Tyler as she bid him farewell. "Get better, OK?"

"OK," he responded as he waved and said goodbye to her. _'She seems nice.'_

* * *

The week has gone by, and it was once again Saturday. Another week over and done with. Looking through his window, Tyler was once again captivated in his thoughts… 

__

'This week surely went by fast. Now I'm in my own home. My own room. Can you believe this house? This is like a mansion. It's so huge. William is not a king, is he? And we have a butler? His name is Jeffrey. Jeffrey Gile. He's OK, but he constantly calls me "Mr. Tyler.'' It's kind of annoying. He's probably 50 years old. Anyway, Mom said a couple of my friends are coming tonight to hang out with me. You know, catch up on the "olden days." Hank and Val are coming here for sure. Jamie and Caitie couldn't though. Jamie has some agenda going on, and Caitie has some family stuff to attend. I wonder what they're doing…

* * *

Nighttime has befallen on Kingsport. A small glimmer of light from the moon shined, almost imperceptible. Out of the corner, a car sped off heading towards the traffic light, almost too quickly.

"Jamie!" yelled Caitie. "For the fifth time, slow down."

"I will," Jamie shot back. 

"Then how come you've been driving recklessly for the last minutes, Mr. Speedy?" Caitie snapped.

"First off, I'm not used to driving my mom's car," Jamie began to explain. "Next, I'm used to riding motorcycles. And finally, we're running late and we might miss the show we're supposed to watch."

"Then what are you waiting for," Caitie exclaimed. "Step on it!"

Jamie did what he was told, and stepped on the gas. Luckily, he didn't get caught with a speeding ticket. All of a sudden, heavy rain came pouring down on them. After they parked the car, the two rushed, literally, to the ticket booth. 

"Two tickets to 'HIGH SOCIETY WASHOUT', please," Jamie told the girl on the booth, almost out of breath.

"I'm sorry, sir" the girl informed him. "That show has been sold out five minutes ago."

"So much for slowing down," Jamie whispered as he glanced at Caitie.

"So much for being late as usual," Caitie countered. "What took you so long anyway?"

"My hair needed attention," Jamie said defensively. "I can't abandon them in the time of need."

"Whatever," Caitie retorted. 

"Um, excuse me," said the girl in the booth.

"What other shows do you have available?" asked an irritated Jamie.

"Actually, we only have one show left," the girl in the booth replied. "If you have gotten here **five minutes **ago, you could have gotten the tickets."

"Sure, rub it in," Jamie told the amused girl in the booth. "Just give me the tickets."

The girl in the booth gave him the tickets after he paid for it. 

"Caitie, let's go," he called out as he headed inside the cinema. 

Caitie followed him from behind. She was still quite annoyed, but she wasn't mad at him anymore. _'I could never stay mad at him.'_

"Jamie," she called. "Wait up!"

"Are you still mad at me?" Jamie asked her without making eye contact.

"No, of course not," Caitie assured him. "You're my only way home, so I can't afford to lose you."

"Thanks a lot," Jamie replied jokingly, acting as though he was hurt.

"You're welcome," Caitie stated with a smile on her face.

Jamie then gave the tickets to the usher.

"Go all the way down to the right," he directed them.

"Thanks," said Jamie as he took Caitie's hand and led the way.

They got in the theater, and went ahead to choose their seats. They decided to sit all the way in the back. Looking around, they saw a bunch of couples in the room. Then, almost immediately, a thought crossed Caitie's mind.

"What movie are we supposed to be watching anyway?" she asked.

"I have no clue," Jamie told her.

The two just had a little conversation of their own, as they waited for the show to come on. A few minutes later, the movie just about started. The two watched intently, their eyes glued to the screen. Finally, the answer Caitie was looking for flashed on the screen.

"THE PERFECT MATCH!" yelled Caitie. 

"I don't want to watch this!" added Jamie.

"Ssshhhhhh!!!/Keep it down!/Shut up!" came a bunch of noise from the crowd.

"Jamie," whispered Caitie. "Look what you've gotten ourselves into."

"Sorry," said Jamie as two blond figures popped on the display. "I'm suffering as much as you are. This is like watching Val and Tyler, only they're 10 times bigger."

"Tell me about it," Caitie said defeated. " I guess we don't have a choice. I don't want to go back outside and deal with that stupid rain."

So Jamie and Caitie just watched the show, despite their wishes. Thirty minutes had passed, and still the show was just as dull as it had begun. Caitie was unusually bored. She doesn't know how much she could bare to take anymore of this torture. She turned to see how Jamie was doing, but was only met by surprise.

"Jamie…," she whispered.

"Quiet," he told her silently, never taking his eyes off the show. "I'm watching something here."

"So much for being the macho man," Caitie said under her breath.

Caitie went back to watching the movie. Another hour passed by. Now, both Caitie and Jamie were watching the show intently. Amazingly, the show seemed to have gotten their interest.

"Can I ask you something, Tara?"

"Go ahead."

"Well, this is really tough to say,…"

"Connor, what is it?"

"I really like you…"

"I like you, too."

"…more than a friend."

"But we're best friends…"

"That's what I'm talking about. We're best friends, and I don't want to lose that."

"Then why are you telling me this?"

"Because I can't help what I feel!"

Jamie turned his eyes to Caitie. _'Caitie, that guy is saying what I've been meaning to tell you all along.'_

"I don't want to lose our friendship either, but this is just not right."

"At least I'm being honest to myself. Can you honestly tell me that you don't feel the same way."

"Yes…no…I don't know. This is really confusing. I can't afford to lose your friendship. It means a lot to me."

Caitie turned to look at Jamie. _'I feel the exact same way she does about you, Jamie.'_

"I'm still you best friend. Your friendship means a lot to me too, but I want more than that. Can't you see how much I love you. I'm risking it all by telling you that."

"If you love me then why are you doing this? You're hurting me…"

"Because I want to be the one to stop you from hurting,…to ease your pain."

"Connor,…it will never be the same…"

"It will be better, Tara. I promise you."

Jamie and Caitie held each other's gaze. No words came from either lips, as though they could read each other's thoughts. As they got closer, Jamie noticed a tear trickle down Caitie's face. He reached out and wiped it with his bare fingers.

"I love you, Tara. I love you forever."

"I love you, Caitie. I love you forever."

"I love you, too, Connor. More than you ever know."

"I love you, too Jamie. More than you ever know."

The two kissed. (Blah blah blah…end credits) 

At this, the two met each other's lips, releasing everything that they had been holding back for as long as they could remember. The kiss seemed unending, yet it both filled the two with bliss. As they broke apart from each other, all they could do is look into each other's eyes, a small smile on their faces.

"I love that movie," exclaimed Jamie.

"Me too," agreed Caitie as they kissed for an encore.

* * *

Hank and Val were already at Tyler's house. With them were a bunch of pictures, old stuff, etc. They all sat in the living room.

"Tyler, do you remember this?" Hank asked him.

"No," replied, annoyed by the frequently asked question.

"I remember this," Val exclaimed excitedly. "This was when we all went to the beach."

"That must have been fun," commented Tyler.

Hank took out another bunch of pictures.

"Tyler, do you remember this?" Hank asked him again. "This was when you and Val paired up for the three-legged race."

"I remember," Val said. "We kept falling down. Whenever I used my right leg, he uses his right leg, too."

The conversation seemed to have been going back and forth between Hank and Val._ 'If I left, would they even notice? Well, there's no use for that. They already think that I'm not here.'_ The whole time they were there, they only talked about who Tyler was, and what he did. Tyler only felt left out. Even though it was for his own good, he couldn't help but wish they would just go away. _'I know they want me to get better, but can't they talk about themselves instead of me. Maybe I'll remember something for a change.'_

"Well, Tyler, we have to go," Hank told him. "I'll leave this pictures for you."

"We'll see you tomorrow," said Val as she caught up with Hank. "Bye, Tyler!"

"Yea, bye," he replied.

Tyler went over the stuff they left behind. He looked through the pictures, seeing different images of him. All the while he was thinking about what Hank and Val said. _'Tyler did this,…Tyler did that,…Tyler was this,…Tyler was that. I don't even know myself. There's a stranger in me that I couldn't find,…that I couldn't understand. I don't know who this person in these stupid pictures is.'_ Frustrated, Tyler threw the pictures across the room. If he didn't know any better, he would have yelled and cried his lungs out.

"Take it easy," William said from behind. 

"I'm sorry," Tyler apologized. "I'll pick them up."

"Don't worry," William told him. "I'll do it for you later. We have something to tell you."

"OK," Tyler replied as William pushed his chair to his office. When the got there, Daphne Jenks was in there with some strange looking guy. 

"Hey, Tyler," greeted his mom. "I'd like you to meet Detective Lucas High."

"Hey," Tyler said as he shook his hand. "So, what were you going to tell me?"

"I have some good news," Detective High replied. "Tyler, we got your assailants."

To be continued…

__

I'm sorry for the delay. My finals just finished last Friday. Plus, I got the dreaded Writer's Block syndrome.L I know this is bad, but I hope you like it anyway. I'll post the next one A.S.A.P.J And please review!!!

__


	8. Falling for you

**__**

Disclaimer: All the characters in this fanfic belong to Disney and any other company that owns the series 'In A Heartbeat', except for Detective Lucas High, Trent Watts, and the judge. This is part 8 of the story. Please review!!!

_Scenes from the previous episode…_

"Take it easy," William said from behind. 

"I'm sorry," Tyler apologized. "I'll pick them up."

"Don't worry," William told him. "I'll do it for you later. We have something to tell you."

"OK," Tyler replied as William pushed his chair to his office. When the got there, Daphne Jenks was in there with some strange looking guy. 

"Hey, Tyler," greeted his mom. "I'd like you to meet Detective Lucas High."

"Hey," Tyler said as he shook his hand. "So, what were you going to tell me?"

"I have some good news," Detective High replied. "Tyler, we got your assailants."

To be continued…

* * *

****

No One Else but You: "Falling for you" 

"Assailants?" Tyler asked.

"You know, the guys who attacked you that caused your amnesia," Detective High replied.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Tyler told him. _'Assailants? How would I know who they are? I can't even remember what happened to me? In fact, I don't care!'_

"That's all right, honey," assured Daphne. "Detective High will take care of it."

"So, Lucas, what do you propose we do now?" William asked him.

"Well, the three guys are in custody at the local detention center right now," Lucas informed him. "The appropriate thing to do is press charges. As far as I'm concerned, they should be charged of attempted murder. If Tyler's friends didn't find him on time, he wouldn't be here right now. At this very moment, those three are being questioned. So, you better find yourselves a lawyer."

"Thank you very much, Lucas," William thanked him. "We'll take care of this as soon as possible."

"You should," Lucas told him. "Well, I got to go. I'll see you all in a week or so. Take care."

After Detective High left the house, Tyler's mom turned to him.

"So, what do you think?" she asked.

"You can do whatever you think is best for me," Tyler told his mother. "I don't really remember much of anything, so it's better if you handle this, and not me."

"That'll be fine," his mom said. "William and I will take care of it."

"OK," replied Tyler. "Can someone help me go to my room now? I'm really tired."

"I'll be there in a minute," William told him. "I have something to take care of."

"OK," Tyler said as he went outside the office. "I'll just wait over there." _'So, they're gonna press charges. I guess I'll have to face those three guys that did this to me. Why did they do it anyway? What did Tyler do…I mean **I** do? I'll just have to wait and see."_

* * *

Days have come and gone, and Tyler still can't recall a thing. Two weeks already passed by. The sun shined through his window, which made him wake up and get out of his bed. The time said that it was 9:00. 

"Nine o'clock," Tyler mumbled to himself. "I should try waking up earlier next time. This is not a good habit at all." 

Tyler still had his sleeping clothes on: a pair of boxers. Tyler proceeded to change when suddenly; there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Tyler called.

"Hey Tyler…oh my god," the person called out as she attempted to cover her eyes.

"Hey Val…Val, what are you doing here?" he said uneasily as he managed to hide behind the closet door.

"The guys…the guys and I, we're…we're here to visit you," she stuttered nervously. "We're off-duty today."

"Really?" he stated coolly as he stopped hiding from the closet door and headed for her slowly as a joke. _'Is she blushing? This is gonna be fun.'_

"We'll just wait for you downstairs," Val told him as she noticed that he was approaching her. _'Why is he doing this? This isn't funny at all.'_ "In the meantime, why don't you go…cover yourself."

Val closed his door quickly. Tyler could hear her footsteps as she ran downstairs.

"Next time Tyler, ask who's outside before letting them in," he told himself with a laugh. _'She really turned red after she saw me. And she was stuttering as well. How cute.'_

Tyler decided to take a quick shower. After he changed, he headed downstairs with his crutches. _'This is really not comfortable at all.'_ When he reached the floor, Jeffrey was there with his wheelchair.

"Thanks Jeffrey," Tyler exclaimed.

"You're welcome, Mr. Tyler," he replied.

"It's Tyler," Tyler informed him. 

"OK, Mr. Tyler," Jeffrey said.

"Really, you can just call me Tyler," he told him again.

"If you say so, Mr. Tyler," Jeffrey replied as he went back to the kitchen.

"Why do I even bother?" Tyler muttered to himself as he headed for the living room.

As he approached the living room, he saw all of his friends. Hank was sitting on the recliner talking to Jamie, who was sitting next to Caitie talking to Val. 

"Hey guys," he greeted them.

"Hey Tyler/Hi/What's up?" they all greeted simultaneously.

"I'm doing good," he replied as he approached the group. 

When he finally got there, he looked around, and caught a glimpse of Val. _'She's really avoiding to make any eye contact. Is she mad at me? I should really apologize later.' _He sat himself near her.

"Hi Val," he greeted.

"Hey Tyler," she replied uneasily, not making eye contact with him.

"So guys, what do you all want to do?" Tyler asked them.

"Well, we asked your mom if you would like to go on a picnic with us," Hank told him. "She said it would be fine, as long as you're up for it."

"Sure," Tyler told him excitedly. "That'll be great. I'm dying to get out of this house. We have to pack first though."

"Not to worry, Mr. Tyler," Jeffrey interrupted. "Your mother already packed the food and all. She told me to tell you to have fun, and take care of yourself."

"Thanks Jeffrey," Tyler told him. "Who's gonna drive?"

"I will, Mr. Tyler," Hank said teasingly. "So what are we waiting for? Let's go."

Hank went first, followed by Caitie and Jamie. The two were holding each other's hand. _'Did I miss something here?'_ Val saw the look on his face, so she decided to explain it to him.

"They got together over the weekend," Val told him.

"I suppose," Tyler exclaimed. "How did you know I was thinking about that?"

"I can read people's minds," she replied jokingly. "I have some mystical powers."

"I'm sure you do," Tyler stated. "Um, can you help me with this chair?"

"Of course," she said as she pushed him towards the door.

"Val," he began to say. "I'm sorry about earlier. I know how uncomfortable it must have been for you."

"Oh, well, apology accepted," Val assured him. "Just don't do it again, OK?" 

"I promise," Tyler said as they headed for Hank's car.

* * *

The park was rather empty, probably because it was a workday for some people. After Hank parked his car, the gang took all that they needed, and headed for the gigantic tree in the middle of the park.

"Why are we heading there?" Tyler asked.

"Because that's the best spot in this park," Caitie told him.

"And we get to have the best view there," added Val.

"If you say so," Tyler said.

When they got to the tree, Tyler looked around. What he saw almost took his breath away. It was probably the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Trees surrounded the park, which was located beside a huge lake. There were ducks swimming in the pond. Also, there were small patches of garden everywhere, imitating the colors of the rainbow.

"Wow," he exclaimed. "This place is amazing."

"Told you so," Val exclaimed.

"Man, you really need to get out of your house once in a while," said Jamie. "You're like a dog that has been trapped in a house for a very long time."

Tyler nodded his head as he continued to look around. As he continued to admire the scenery, he caught a glimpse of a familiar blond.

"Is it just me, or is that Brooke heading over here?" Tyler asked.

"That is little Brookie," Caitie exclaimed.

Brooke rode her bike towards them, followed by a short little brunette boy.

"Hey guys," Brooke greeted them.

"Brooke, what are you doing here?" asked Val.

"I overheard that you guys are all coming down here," Brooke started to explain. "Since you people obviously didn't invite us, we decided to invite ourselves. And you can't make us go away."

"Fine," Val exclaimed. "I guess we have enough food here."

"All right," exclaimed Nick, as the others looked at him. "What? I'm starving."

"Tyler, that little boy over there is Nick," Jamie introduced him.

"It's nice to meet you, Nick," Tyler stated. "Are you and Brooke…?"

"We're best friends," Brooke told him right away. "Nothing more."

"Just wondering," Tyler smiled.

After that, they decided to eat for a little while.

* * *

Caitie and Jamie went out for a little walk by themselves. Hank accompanied Brooke and Nick to the lake. Tyler and Val were left alone under the tree.

"Have you been to this place before?" asked Tyler.

"Sure, even you have been here," Val informed him.

"Really, I don't remember," spoke Tyler. "Of course, I don't remember anything."

"Tyler, is anything bothering you?" Val asked with concern. "You can tell me."

"Nothing," he replied. "So, what did we do when we went here?"

"Well, we all went here lots of times before," Val started to say. "The first time we all went here together was probably the 9th grade activity planned…"

Val went on with her story. Tyler just listened in, taking in her every word. Without even intending to, Tyler found himself staring at her. _'Why am I staring at her? What was she talking about anyway? I don't even know. She just…oh god, this isn't good. I'm not supposed to…'_ His thinking was suddenly interrupted by a female voice.

"Tyler?" asked Val. "Are you listening? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I was listening," he told her. "I just found it really interesting, that's all."

A second later, Hank, Brooke, and Nick came.

"Nick and I are just gonna go ahead," Brooke told them. "We'll see you later."

The two went off.

"Are you guys ready to go?" asked Hank.

"Yea," Val replied. "We're just waiting for Caitie and Jamie."

As if on cue, the two arrived hand in hand.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Hank asked the two.

"Yea, we're ready," Jamie and Caitie replied simultaneously.

They both laughed, and looked at each other dotingly.

"Geez Waite, what happened to you, man?" Hank asked him as a joke.

"What did you say, Hank?" asked Jamie as he looked up.

"Never mind," Hank replied. "Let's go."

* * *

After they gathered all of their belongings, they headed to Hank's car and drove Tyler home first. When they got there, they helped him inside and returned all the things they brought.

"Bye Tyler," called out everyone.

"Bye," he said as their car sped off. "I'll see you later."

When Tyler went back inside, his mom was already there. 

"Hey mom," Tyler greeted. "I wasn't expecting you to come home this early. It's only 4:00."

"Well, William called me and said to come here early," Daphne replied.

"He's here as well?" asked Tyler.

"Yes, I'm here," William called out. "Tyler, we forgot to tell you this…"

"Tell me what?" he asked.

"We're going to the court today," Daphne informed him. "They told us that you didn't have to go, but if you want, you can come with us."

"Do you want to come?" asked William.

"I guess," Tyler replied. "I'll just get changed."

After Tyler changed, he went downstairs and met up with his parents.

"I'm ready," he told them before they headed to William's car.

The courtroom was full of people. Tyler was seated with his mother behind William, and their lawyer, Trent Watts. The judge finally arrived, and ordered everyone to settle down. Debates and arguments were discussed. It was a little over an hour, when finally, the assailants were called to come out. As the three came out, one of them looked at Tyler in the eyes. _'You're still alive, Connell. I should have just finished you off.' _Tyler just looked at him, although he had no clue that he was the guy who hit him. _'Why is he looking at me like that? Was he the one that did this to me? What about those other two?'_ Each and every one of them was called out to the stand. Tyler looked and listened to what they had to say…

"State your name."

"Ashton Croft."

"Were you at the crime scene?"

"Yes."

"Do you know Tyler Connell?"

"I've heard of him."

"Did you join in his attack?"

"Yes."

………………………………

"State your name."

"Jason Harley."

"Were you at the crime scene?"

"Yes, I was."

"Do you know Tyler Connell?"

"Yes."

"In what way?"

"We play in opposing football teams."

"Did you by any chance join in his attack?"

"Yes, I did."

………………………………

"State your name."

"Blakely Wilson."

"Were you at the crime scene?"

"Of course"

"Did you know Tyler Connell?"

"How could I not?"

"In what way?"

"He played against my football team during the regional championships."

"Wasn't the football game held the night of the attack?"

"What's your point?"

"Did you, Mr. Wilson, attack Tyler Connell that night?"

"Right on the head."

Noise from the crowd erupted in the room. The judge ordered them to be quiet.

"Why did you do it, Mr. Wilson?"

"…because he deserved it."

"Do you have any regrets for your actions, Mr. Wilson? You should know that this was a criminal offense."

"The only thing I regret was that I didn't finish YOU off!" he said as he stood up and pointed at Tyler. "I told you to stay out of my way!"

The policemen behind Wilson restrained him.

"No more further questions, your honor."

Tyler continued to look on, not knowing what to say. _'What did I do? That guy really wanted to kill me. Football game…championship…wait a minute, Hank gave me a ball. He said we won, and Blakely said they were against us. Was that the reason why?…because his team lost?'_

"It appears that our suspects did in fact do the crime," proclaimed the judge. "I saw a little or no regret in their faces. The jury has decided that all three men are guilty of the crime. Since all three are above 17, they will be charged as adults. All three will be imprisoned for…"

Tyler didn't even bother to listen. _'That's it. They're punished, but what does that help me with? I still can't remember.'_

"Tyler, isn't this great?" his mom remarked excitedly.

"Yea, great," Tyler told her with a fake smile.

After the verdicts were handed out, the three men were escorted out of the courtroom. Just then, Wilson jumped on Tyler as he passed him.

"This is not over yet, Connell, not for a lifetime," he managed to say before he policemen took him. "Mark my words, Connell."

Tyler stood up, caught by surprise on what just happened.

"Are you all right?" asked his mother.

"Yea, it's just my head, but I'll be fine," Tyler exclaimed. _'Connell? Why does he call me that? And why does it sound so familiar?'_

* * *

Tyler stayed his room for the remainder of the evening. He only ate a light dinner, and headed upstairs. He paced around his room, trying to remember everything, and talking to himself.

"Blakely Wilson." he spoke. "He called me Connell. Did anyone call me that before? It sounds so familiar, but I can't recall anything. Oh well, I should stop thinking about him. He's in prison now, and I don't really care. Maybe I just want my memories back so much…"

His voice trailed off when he saw a picture on top of his desk. It was a picture of the whole EMT gang. Hank, Jamie, Alex, Brooke, and Val were on the picture.

"…or maybe not," he finished his sentence. 

He took the picture from the desk, and looked at it intently. _'Val…what was that during the picnic anyway? She's just my friend. But then I couldn't stop looking at her. I can't even stop thinking about her. What does she care anyway? She and Tyler were just friends. I can't just go to her and say, "I'm falling for you". She probably will just laugh at me and let me down easy. Anyway, once I get my memories back, we'll just be friends again. Nothing more…'_ Tyler returned the picture on his desk. 

"When did things get complicated?" he asked himself out loud. "Why did things have to complicate themselves? Now I'm falling for a person that I obviously can't have. I'm just a stupid illness, a lapse that will eventually go away. I'm only here temporarily."

Tyler sighed and laid down on his bed.

"Now I'm torn between the past and the present," he stated again. 

When Tyler stood up again, something fell out from under his bed.

"What the heck was that?" he asked himself.

Curious, he looked under his bed and sought for the object. He searched until his hand caught a hold of something. When he took his hand out under the bed, a small book, resembling a notebook, came to view.

"I wonder what this is," he said as he opened it.

When he turned to the first page, it read: THE JOURNAL OF TYLER CONNELL - KEEP OUT!!!

To be continued…

__

I have to stop right there. I hope you liked it. I'm sorry it took long. I just started my second semester, and I hate al of them. I had a test in ALGEBRA II on the second day. They're all really hard, except for that boring Software Applications class. I'll try to get the next part out soon. 


	9. Dear Diary

**__**

Disclaimer: All the characters in this fanfic belong to Disney and any other company that owns the series 'In A Heartbeat'. This is part 9 of the story. Please review!!!

_Scenes from the previous episode…_

"When did things get complicated?" he asked himself out loud. "Why did things have to complicate themselves? Now I'm falling for a person that I obviously can't have. I'm just a stupid illness, a lapse that will eventually go away. I'm only here temporarily."

Tyler sighed and laid down on his bed.

"Now I'm torn between the past and the present," he stated again. 

When Tyler stood up again, something fell out from under his bed.

"What the heck was that?" he asked himself.

Curious, he looked under his bed and sought for the object. He searched until his hand caught a hold of something. When he took his hand out under the bed, a small book, resembling a notebook, came to view.

"I wonder what this is," he said as he opened it.

When he turned to the first page, it read: THE JOURNAL OF TYLER CONNELL - KEEP OUT!!!

To be continued…

* * *

****

No One Else but You: "Dear Diary" 

Tyler held the book firmly in his hands, as he closed it back. _'Should I read this? This is Tyler's journal. It's private. Wait, I'm Tyler, so that makes this my journal. Who am I kidding? I'm not Tyler…'_

"What would Tyler do?" he whispered to himself softly.

Without even realizing it, Tyler opened the journal and started to read, in hopes of finding the missing pieces of his puzzle…

March 5,1995

Dear Diary,

My throat hurts. When I got home, I told Mommy what happened. She smiled at me. I thought she was going to say nothing's wrong, but she told me that I had to get my tonsils out instead. I cried "No," but she just smiled again. When Daddy got home, he heard the news and talked to me. He said not to worry, and that everything is fine. He gave me this snow globe, with a leprechon leprechaun in it. It was hidious hideous, but I didn't tell him.

When I got back from the hospital, I was happy that I was not hurt. I guess that leprechaun helped me. I'm going to keep it with me from now on for good luck…

Tyler looked around the room, and then saw the snow globe with the leprechaun that Val recently gave back to him, though he wasn't aware of the reason why. 

"It is hideous," he stated.

He laughed a small laugh before continuing…

November 23,1995

Dear Diary,

It is my 11th birthday! Mommy got me a Doctor Kit. It was embarrassing. My friends were laughing at me. Did I tell you that I want to become a doctor when I'm old? Not old like the pope. Maybe old like dad, but only younger. Daddy bought me a football. I love playing football with Daddy. He's funny. He told me that I when I'm in high school, I will be the best football player ever. And after that, he told me that I will play in the NFL. I told him that I want to be a doctor instead. 

Later that night, I heard Mommy and Daddy yelling outside my room. It was probably the fifth time that this happened…

Tyler paused for a second. _'So Tyler, I mean, **I**, wanted to be a doctor. I guess that explains the EMT thing. And where did my father go?'_ He continued to read and skim the pages, hoping to find more…

January 1,1997

Dear Diary,

Happy New Year! This is great. I ate dinner with my mom. My dad wasn't home though. He said he had some work to do. I miss him. He's always away, even during the New Year. I don't see him often as I used to anymore.

Dad and Mom had a fight again. This morning, I heard mom say, "Jonathan, I don't think this is going to work." What does she mean? I asked my best friend, Hank, over the phone. He told me something about a divorce. I don't want my parents to have a divorce. I want them to be happy, like when we went to a family picnic 3 years ago. Hank told me that I have to stay with one of my parents. I don't want Mom to go away. I don't want Dad to go away either. I hope Hank was wrong…

Tyler paused once again, before flipping through the next pages…

September 8, 1997

Dear Diary,

Dad left the house. He carried 2 luggage full of clothes downstairs, and then put it in the trunk of his car. I went over and helped him with his other stuff. When all of the things were in his car, he asked me if I wanted to have one last ride with him. Of course, I went in and enjoyed the ride. 

We played football for a while. After that, we went to see a movie. Then, he bought me some ice cream. I had 2. When he drove me back home, I asked him why he wanted to leave. He told me that he and Mom are not getting along. I asked him if I'll ever see him again. He told me that he'll visit once in a while. I told him not to go, but he just smiled at me, and left. 

I cried as I waved goodbye to him. I stood there until his car was out of sight. After that, I cried again and went to my room…

Tyler wiped the tears that formed in his eyes. _'So that's why he wasn't here. I would have been glad if I met him. I wonder where he is now…'_ Tyler continued to glide through the pages…

September 10,1998

Dear Diary,

This was my first day in high school. Of course, I hung out with Hank. I'm kind of nervous. I met a bunch of people, though none of them interested me. I also made the JV football team. Dad would have been so proud.I left him a message on the phone. As the day was almost over, I couldn't have been more thankful. 

When I got home, I was about to do my homework when I noticed I got the wrong binder. I was pretty sure it was mine when I picked it up, but I guess I was wrong. It belonged to some girl named Val Lanier. Anyway, found her phone number and gave her a call. I walked to her house to give the binder back. When I saw her, I noticed that she was the blond girl sitting in front of me in English class. She greeted me in a rather cheery manner. After I got my binder back, I headed back for home.

When I passed by the park, I remembered something that never crossed my mind before. I can't believe it was a little over a year ago that my dad left. I wiped a tear that started to trickle down my face, as well as the memory that set it off in the first place. 

When I got home, I noticed a nice looking car parked on our driveway. I knew exactly who it was. It was William. And the only thing I wanted to do, was avoid him…

Tyler stopped reading, and let his thoughts wander for a while. _'So that's how I met Val. And Hank has always been my best friend. But what about William? Why would Tyler do such a thing as avoid him. He's a really nice guy.'_ Once again, he continued his reading…

April 18,1999

Dear Diary,

I'm at Hank's house at the moment. Mom and William went off for their honeymoon. I can't believe she married that jerk. What does he have that Dad didn't. We were just happy before. Anyway, I'm going to be staying in Hank's room, and once again meet up with Mr. "Floor." Tomorrow, Hank and I are going to the EMS tutorial. Val is going to be there as well. This is going to be fun.

School is tougher nowadays. I have to finish my science fair project. Luckily, we can do it in pairs. As usual, Hank and I are doing the project together. Some things just never change…

The ring of the phone interrupted Tyler. He didn't bother picking it up, for he heard William answering it from out the hall. Once more, Tyler went back to the journal.

June 12,1999

Dear Diary,

Today was the last day of school. Finally, the torture is over. On my way out, I saw Hank, Val, and her friend Caitie. She's supposed to be Val's best friend. I don't see why…they're just opposites. Anyway, I said my farewell, and headed home.

I'm going to Europe with Mom and William for the summer. I'll just have to make the best of it. I have to remember to bring my EMS study guide though. They're starting the tests during fall. I'm going to miss this little town of Kingsport…

He continued to flip more through the pages…

August 26,2000

Dear Diary,

Today is the start of my junior year. Can you imagine how _time flies_? Like they say in Latin, _"Tempus fugit"_. It seems only two years ago that I stepped into this school. Now, I'm a year from graduating and I'm the captain of the Varsity Football Team. How I really wish Dad had seen this. He must have been going on and on and on about how right he was. 

I haven't seen him since about a year ago. He doesn't even answer my calls that much anymore. Well, I have football practice later on, and I'm on call with the EMS thing. Hank will be at the practice with me as usual, since he is in the football team as well. Val is a cheerleader. The three of us will probably just meet up somewhere in the field if we get a beep…

flip, flip, flip, flip,…and flip…

September 1,2000

Dear Diary,

We had a sad case today. Val's dad had a heart attack. I know she must have been really scared. Fortunately, we were able to get him to the hospital. Val was given a break. I went to he house. I wanted to give her the leprechaun Dad once gave me. It served me well during my tonsil removal, and hopefully, it will serve to help he Dad. She was really thankful for it. She gave me a kiss on the cheek. I was glad she was feeling better. After that, the two of us, and her sister, Brooke, played scrabble…

flip, flip, flip, flip,…and flip…

September 29,2000

Dear Diary,

The Homecoming Dance is coming up. I still don't have a date. I decided to just ask and go with Val. We're friends after all. Too bad Lean Dean was already in the process of asking her out. I was about to ask her, but Heather Stillmore was all over me, I swear. Then it was all too late. I walked Heather to class that day. I hope Val had fun…

flip, flip, flip, flip,…and flip…

October 1,2000

Dear Diary,

I didn't ask anyone to the dance yet. Hank on the other hand, ended up with Melanie Chung. I can see that he dreaded this, but he was practically thinking of the opposite when he was forced to ask her out. I believe he was trying not to be rude. Anyway, Val kind of dropped a hint that she wasn't going to the dance, so I decided to ask her. Then, the alarm went off.

I don't know why, but it seemed like she was mad at me. She probably was going with Lean Dean, so I just asked Heather out. She's OK, right? I hope so…

Tyler tried to make sense of the last two entries. _'Did Tyler like Val? Maybe I still have a chance. Then again, he didn't say he liked her. Maybe it was just a friend wanting to go with a friend. Did I miss something? I should read this all…oh…never mind…'_ He resumed reading…

November 23,2000

Dear Diary,

It's my birthday today. Since mom wanted me to bring some friend over, I invited Val to the house. I have to admit that she was a bit overdressed. Well, we all had dinner. Mom prepared all of my favorite foods. Things went well at first, before William started hassling me. 

That guy just won't give up. He already married my mom, so he doesn't have to impress her. He's continuously trying to run my life. And when I just couldn't take it anymore, I went off and headed for the basketball court. I couldn't stand to be around or even be near him. I know I was rude, especially to Val, but my temper got the best of me. I just have to apologize later…

Tyler stood up to stretch. _'What's up with him and William? Maybe he just really hates his guts, or else, I don't know what his problem is. I like William. He's nice.'_ He was getting tired and sleepy. _'Tyler sure had a boring life. He didn't mention anything much about his love life, his work,…'_ He returned to the journal.

January 8,2001

Dear Diary,

Guess what? I finally did it! I asked her out. We're gonna go out Friday after the Regional Championship game…

Tyler tried to stay up. His eyes were drooping. _'Looks like I'm nearing the future. The ball Hank gave me was …' _~yawn~ _'…the Regional Championship game.'_ He resumed reading once again…

I hope we beat Hamilton. After this, it's the State Championship!!! The only thing I'm afraid of is my date Friday night. I hope I don't mess that one up…

Tyler was already laying down on the bed. _'Who's the girl? Probably someone I don't know.'_ Flip, flip, flip, flip,…and flip…

January 12,2001

Dear Diary,

We won! We won! Guess who the MVP is? No, not Hank. Me. Although he did pretty well with the passing. I can't believe it, although my body still hurts a little. The only thing about the game was Blakely Wilson. He threatened me that if I cross his way, I'd be gone. I just hope he was just saying because he wanted to win so badly as I did. 

Well, I'm ready. The big date is here. And I already got her present. I'm really nervous. I just hope things will go smoothly as I wanted it to be. Can you believe it? I'm finally gonna go out with…

The journal dropped from Tyler's hand to the floor. Tyler was already fast asleep. Fatigue has overcome him. The window was slightly open, allowing the cool breeze from the other side, slip in. And outside the window, was the presence of the almost full moon.

* * *

The sun has marked its place, and it was once again morning. Sunlight burst through the window, and sent light all over Tyler's room. Suddenly, the alarm clock erupted with its ever-earsplitting buzzer. Tyler woke up with a start.

"Val," he exclaimed as he shot up from his bed. "I'm finally gonna go out with Val."

Tyler paused, not sure of what he said, and why he said it. He got out of bed, when he stepped on something familiar. It was his journal.

"What is this doing out here?" he asked himself. 

He returned the book to where it was supposed to be hidden. _'Wait a minute. What am I doing here? Wasn't I supposed to be on a…'_ Shaking his head, he got up, but fell on the floor. One of his legs hurt a little. _'Maybe because of Blake.' _Trying to get up again, he walked carefully and went to the bathroom to wash his face. He figured he might still be half-asleep. Finally waking up completely, Tyler went back out to his room. He noticed that his room seemed different.

"What the heck happened here?" he said. 

He drove his hands into his messy hair, when a slight feeling of pain overcame him.

"Ow!" he cried. "What happened to me?"

Then he stopped as he was able to recall something. _'I remember. It was Blake Wilson. He hit me with a bat while I was on my way to see Val, and then…I don't know what happened then. How did I get here in the first place.'_ He saw a pair of crutches, and decided to use it for himself. _'Why is this thing here anyway?' _Utterly confused, Tyler went downstairs for some breakfast.

"Good morning, Mom!" he greeted. "Hey Will!"

"Good morning, Tyler," greeted his mom back. "How was your sleep?"

"It was weird," he started to complain. "When I woke up, I just said something. And then when I went out of my bed, my journal was on the floor. Hey, you didn't read my journal, did you?"

"No, I didn't," she assured him.

"I didn't know you keep a journal," William commented.

"Did you read it?" Tyler shot him an angry look.

"No, I just told you I didn't know about it," William retorted.

"What's with you today?" his mom asked. "You seem so irritable. I hope this isn't because of last night. I'm sure it must have been hard on you."

"How did I get here anyway?" asked Tyler.

"What do you mean?" asked his mom. "Oh, honey, I got to get to work. I'm running late. I'll talk to you later."

"Mom, what are you talking about?" Tyler asked her with a laugh. "It's Saturday. There's no work today."

"Honey, it's Friday," said his mom. 

"Check the calendar, mom," he told her confidently. "It's Saturday, January 13th."

Daphne and William exchanged glances. They were both of worry and joy. Confusion and relief.

"It's February already, Tyler," William informed him.

Tyler looked at the calendar with a confused look.

"But we just won the Regional Championship yesterday, didn't we?" he asked, trying to make sense in all of this.

"That was a month ago," said his mom.

"What?" he yelled in disbelief. "That can't be. We won 24 to 23, remember. I scored the last touchdown with 5 minutes left in the game. And what's wrong with this calendar anyway."

"Oh my God," mumbled Daphne as she collapsed to the floor.

William and Tyler quickly attended to her.

"It's OK, Tyler," William said to him. "I can handle this."

"She's my mother, Will," he told him crossly. "I can help her whenever I want."

"Do you even know why she fainted?" asked William as she carried her onto the couch in the living room.

"Because she finally realized what a mistake it was to mar---," he started. "Never mind."

"It's because you're back," William told him.

"That's funny, because I was never gone," Tyler remarked.

"Physically, you weren't," William told him as he tried to wake Daphne up.

"What are you saying, Will?" he asked him. "Mom, are you OK?"

Daphne sat up on the couch and went over to Tyler. She hugged him, much to her surprise.

"What is going on?" Tyler asked again.

"I'm so glad you're back," she said between tears as she continued to hug him. 

"Back from what?" Tyler asked.

"From your amnesia," his mom told him. "I knew you would be back soon."

Tyler just looked at her.

"Me too," he said with a confused look still painted on his face.

To be continued…

__

I just had the most terrible day yesterday, so I hope you like this. That will definitely make me feel better and cheer me up. I'll get out the next part probably by Sunday night, maybe earlier. Please read and review! Thanks! By the way, Mad Cow, where do I e-mail you to get an invite on that Bleacher Junkie n Pretty Perfects chatroom/club?


	10. The one

**__**

Disclaimer: All the characters in this fanfic belong to Disney and any other company that owns the series 'In A Heartbeat'. This is part 10. Please review!!! Note: flashback(s) are italicized and in blue.

_Scenes from the previous episode…_

"That's funny, because I was never gone," Tyler remarked.

"Physically, you weren't," William told him as he tried to wake Daphne up.

"What are you saying, Will?" he asked him. "Mom, are you OK?"

Daphne sat up on the couch and went over to Tyler. She hugged him, much to her surprise.

"What is going on?" Tyler asked again.

"I'm so glad you're back," she said between tears as she continued to hug him. 

"Back from what?" Tyler asked.

"From your amnesia," his mom told him. "I knew you would be back soon."

Tyler just looked at her.

"Me too," he said with a confused look still painted on his face.

To be continued…

* * *

****

No One Else but You: "The one" 

Tyler was still dumbfounded by what he just heard. _'I had amnesia? For this long? I can't imagine the time I have lost…what about my friends…what about Val?'_ Tyler had a long talk with his parents, which gave him an insight of what really happened. He still can't make himself believe that he really was gone for that long. _'It seemed like only yesterday…'_

"Tyler, what was the deal with that Wilson kid, anyway?" asked William.

"Well, I remember that during the game he threatened me that if I stand in his way I'll be 'gone'," Tyler responded. "I guess he did mean it."

"Well, you're safe from him now," assured Daphne. "I'm just glad you're back. I missed you."

"I know, but it seems like I was gone," he told her.

"I'm sure you're friends will be delighted that you're back," Daphne told her son.

"How were they when they heard the news?" Tyler asked them.

"They were actually the ones who found you," William informed him. "Of course, they were devastated. I mean, it was a relief that you were fine, but the news about the amnesia probably made things complicated."

"Do you want me to call them?" asked his mother.

"No, it's fine," he told her. "Um, did Val call? How was she?"

"No, she didn't call," Daphne told him. "But from what I heard, she was really distressed by what happened."

"OK, thanks," Tyler said before he headed upstairs. "Um, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure honey, anything," she told him.

"Can you not tell anyone about this yet?" Tyler prompted. "I'd rather tell everyone myself. Please?"

"If that's what you want," Daphne remarked.

"William?" Tyler directed to him.

"I'm in," William assured him. "I promise."

"Thanks," he said before heading for his room.

* * *

A week has gone by, and Tyler's leg has seemed to heal. As for his return from the other side, none of his friends have found out yet. Luckily, his friends' busy schedule made things a lot easier. His single encounter with one of them was only when Hank called to ask how he was…

"Hey Tyler!" Hank greeted.

"Hey Hank!" he answered, a smile playing on his face.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm doing fine, um,…what's your last name?" Tyler asked humorously.

"It's Beecham," Hank answered, rather disappointed that Tyler forgot. 

"Oh, sorry I forgot," he told him.

"Do you want to meet with the gang later?" Hank asked him.

"Sorry, but my head is really throbbing," Tyler lied.

"OK, well, I hope you feel better then," Hank mentioned before he said his goodbye.

That call was three days ago. Now, Tyler was ready. In reality, he really didn't know how to say it to his friends. He figured he should tell Hank first, and remember to give him back the football. _'How did I get this back anyway? He must have returned it to me after what happened.' _Then he considered telling Jamie and Caitie next. _'Brooke can wait. I'll tell Val last.'_ The thought of her reminded him of something. He went in his closet and searched for something.

"Where's that jacket?" he asked himself. "Come on…"

After minutes of unsuccessful searching, he gave up and sat on his bed. When he climbed onto the bed, he noticed the jacket hanging on the door.

"There it is," he claimed as went and grabbed it.

Inside one of the pockets was the present he meant to give her days ago. It was a long box that seemed to contain a watch or a bracelet, but it wasn't a sort of jewelry at all. Looking at the box, Tyler remembered that one special moment…

__

"Hey Val!"

"Hi Tyler! Do you want to come in?"

"Sure."

"So, what's up?"

"OK, I know this must be the ugliest thing you've seen in your life…" He took out the leprechaun snow globe.

"I bet it is."

"Well, my dad gave this to me when I was about to have my tonsils removed. He told me that it will help me and that everything will be all right. I believed him, and everything did turn out OK. So I want your dad to have it."

"Oh Tyler, that's so nice of you. Thanks." She gave him a peck on the cheek.

The two looked at each other, and Val invited him to stay and play scrabble. He eagerly stayed, and they played scrabble all night long, along with Brooke.

Tyler placed the box back in the jacket. _'I remember that night clearly…the night I knew she was the one.'_ Tyler looked at this watch. It was around the time that Hank gets home from school. He immediately grabbed a coat, a small backpack, and the football, before heading to Hank's house.

* * *

Tyler rang the doorbell, and conveniently Hank answered it. 

"Tyler?" he said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't I visit you once in a while?" Tyler said, acting innocently.

"Of course you can," he told him. "Come in."

After they were seated, Hank asked him how he got there.

"I asked for directions," Tyler told him.

"So, what did you want?" Hank asked him.

"Actually, I came to give you back this," he said as he took out the football from the bag.

"But this was for you," Hank said, handing the ball back to him.

"Although this championship ball was awarded to me, I want you to have it as a token of my appreciation," Tyler told him, hoping he remembered the line as well as he did. "You've always been there for me through good times and bad, and you've always been my inspiration. Thanks for being my best friend, and brother that I never had."

"That's what you said, or in this case wrote when you gave the ball to me after…" Hank stated before his voice trailed off. 

Hank dropped the football to the floor, and just looked at Tyler in shock.

"What did you just say?" he asked again of the recognizable line.

"I'm back," he told Hank with a small smile on his face.

Hank still couldn't speak.

"Hank, say something," Tyler ordered him.

"Th-- That's-- That's great," he said before giving his friend a small hug.

"You should have seen the look on your face," Tyler told him with a laugh.

"Me too," he agreed. "When did this happen?"

"Last week," he answered.

"So when I called…" he started to ask.

"Yes, I was back," he retorted.

"Did you tell anyone yet?" Hank asked him.

"You're the first one," Tyler told him. "You should feel special."

"Well, I'm flattered," Hank told him lightheartedly. "When are you planning to tell the others?"

"Today," he informed him. "Well, I better get going."

"OK, I'll see you around Tyler," Hank told him.

"I'll see you around, Beecham," he stated before leaving.

* * *

Tyler hurried to the school, hoping not to miss Caitie and Jamie. To his luck, they were still there as always --- under the bleachers. Tyler headed towards them, ready to drop the bomb.

"Whoa, hey there," Jamie called out.

Caitie and Jamie were the only ones there. Tyler was actually hoping they were the only ones there.

"Are you lost or something?" Caitie asked him.

"No, I was just looking for you guys," Tyler told them. "Why, am I interrupting something?"

"No, not at all," Jamie said as he moved away from Caitie. "How did you get here in the first place anyway?" Jamie asked him.

"Because I know this is where you hang out," Tyler answered.

"How did you know that?" Jamie asked him again.

"Well, isn't this where you two hang out after school most of the time," Tyler remarked.

"Who told you?" Caitie said. "You couldn't possibly remember that unless…"

Like Hank, her voice trailed off.

"You're back, aren't you?" Jamie asked with a smile.

"Yes, genius, I'm back," Tyler told him.

"Well man, that's good," Jamie commented. "Welcome back, Tyler."

Caitie, much to his surprise, gave him a hug.

"I'm so glad you're back," she said with glee. "Val will be so happy."

"I suppose she will be," Tyler said as he returned her hug. "So, what's up with you two?"

Jamie moved over to Caitie's side and put his arm around his shoulder. Caitie put her arm around his waist.

"Are you serious?" Tyler asked them. "That's great. I'm happy for you guys. It's about time."

"Yea, we're happy too," Jamie told him as Caitie blushed.

"So, I guess I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone," Tyler remarked. "I'll see you guys around."

"Bye Tyler," they both said in chorus.

"Now, where were we?" Jamie said

* * *

Tyler returned to his house, and ate dinner. After the meal, he went back up to his room and took the jacket hanging on the door. Hurriedly, he told his mom that he was leaving for a while, and will be back a little while later. As soon as he got out of the house, he rushed to his car and drove straight to Val's house. On his way, however, he noticed that someone was in the station. Thinking for sure that it was Alex, he went in to tell him the news. When he got inside, Alex's office was closed. No one was in sight._ 'Why is the light on then?'_ As he proceeded to turn it off, he heard a faint sound of something hitting another, a sound he certainly recognized. _'Who's playing basketball in there? I'm the only one who does that every night.'_ Curious, Tyler headed for the basketball court. Whom he saw was definitely one he did not expect. _'Val? What is she doing here? At this time?'_

Tyler just stood there as he watched her shoot the ball to the hoop._ 'She must have been practicing. She used to suck at this game.'_ A smile crept on his face. Quietly, he approached her. When the ball bounced off the backboard, Tyler caught the ball. Wondering why she didn't her the ball hit the ground, Val turned to see someone behind her.

"Tyler!!!" she screamed. "Tyler, what are you doing here?"

"Just looking around," he told her calmly. "What are YOU doing here?"

"Um, just playing basketball by myself," she said consciously, but calmed down when she remembered that he has amnesia.

"Having fun?" he asked as he shot the ball, and it went it.

"Yea," Val said as she looked at him curiously. "Why are you here?"

"Actually, I want to give you this," he said as he took the box out of his pocket.

"What's this?" Val asked him. 

"Just something I meant to give you a long time ago," Tyler told her as he anxiously waited for her to open it.

"Thanks, I guess," Val remarked as she proceeded to open it. 

It was a long box, seeming to contain some watch or bracelet. Val inquiringly glanced at Tyler. _'What's this for?'_ Tyler looked at her. _'Just open it.'_ Val went on and opened the box. When she saw what was inside, she was filled with confusion and a hint of bliss. Inside the box was a note saying: Remember that night we played scrabble.... That was the night...And in scrabble tiles it read: I KNEW YOU WERE THE ONE. Tears started forming in her eyes. Suddenly, an overwhelming feeling overcame her. She couldn't think. All she could do was look at the present. Then suddenly, she looked up and saw Tyler standing in front of her. He reached out and wiped the tears of her face, while tears formed in his eyes as well.

"I came back to tell you that I love you," Tyler whispered to her.

Val couldn't even begin to speak. She wanted to tell him that she loved him so much. She wanted to tell him how she missed him. Not finding the words, Val hugged Tyler as she started to cry again.

"I've missed you so much," Val managed to speak out. "I knew you'd come back."

Tyler hugged her back, never wanting to let go.

"And I did," he said.

"I love you too, Tyler," she told him looking into his eyes. "I wanted you to know that, but you went away. I was afraid to lose you. That's why I came here every night. I wanted you to come back. I thought you'd forget. I th--…"

Tyler put a finger on Val's lips.

"I'll never forget you, ever," he told her before putting his lips on hers.

The kiss seemed to last forever, both releasing all the pent-up emotions that they had been holding back for so long. It was a moment they never wanted to end. Reluctantly, Tyler moved away from here.

"So, do you want to play ball?" Tyler asked suggestively.

"You're on," Val remarked. "That is, if you can keep up."

Val grabbed the ball, and the two started their game. As the night went on, the ever-present sound of the dribbling ball on concrete floor echoed through the walls. The sound of the ball going in the hoop was constant. The court was back to life. Everything was back. And things were once again as they were…only better. 

The End

__

Well, that was the last chapter of the series (sorry Mad Cow L ), but there will be more. I already have ideas popping out of my head. Anyway, thanks to all of you who supported and read this fic.


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